


Elastic Heart

by bethevibeyouseek



Category: Wentworth (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2019-10-30 12:03:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17828192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bethevibeyouseek/pseuds/bethevibeyouseek
Summary: Slightly AU. Post S6. The years of domestic bliss Franky and Bridget fought for is put to the test upon the death of Franky's mother, and the discovery of the little sister Franky never knew she had.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Mentions of child abuse

It wasn’t often that Franky’s days went by slowly, but on the rare occasion that they did, she would catch herself staring down at the ring on her left hand. In the past she was known to wear several rings on her fingers, but she’d shed them all years ago the moment her girl put this one on her finger. When she’d been released from prison for good, she wasted no time in proposing. The ceremony was a formality. In Franky’s mind the two had been married in a boxcar as she bled out from a bullet wound the shoulder, vows spoken in her heart as Bridget refused to let death part them. Bridget should have run when she had the chance, but for some reason, she didn't. Instead, she ran right into the eye of the storm that was Franky Doyle. Unlike most that came before her, she had no fear. Try as she might to push the woman away, she kept coming back each time. And slowly she began to trust her. The psychologist had somehow been able to tame the beast within her. Once Franky had put away her teeth and her claws...she’d fallen for her, and hard. They were like magnets, unable to stay away from each other no matter how hard they and the rest of the world had tried to pull them apart. Something always brought them back together. Two years into marriage and they were still finding new ways to fall in love with one another.  
  
“Franky, can you come here please?” Imogen, Franky’s boss ripped her from her daydream. She quickly shook herself back to reality and went to her office.  
  
“Let me guess, you need a runner to the courthouse?” She leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed.  
  
“Come in and close the door,” she instructed with a straight face. Instantly Franky panicked. She closed the door quietly and sat in the chair on the other side of the lawyer’s desk.  
  
“Am I in trouble?” She tried to laugh off her worry, but it came out as genuine fear.  
  
“No, not at all. I just got a call about a child abuse case.”  
  
“Another one?” She had to hand it to her boss. She always checked in before passing off those types of files to Franky. She knew how much they wore on her.  
  
“I’m afraid so,” her voice sank as she spoke.  
  
“Give me the papers and I’ll get to work,” Franky held her hands out for the forest green folders she’d been working with for years. She was damn good at her job. Her record would prevent her from becoming a full blown lawyer, but she was the best paralegal that Legal Relief had ever seen, and her boss made sure to tell her every day.  
  
“It’s not that.” Imogen shook her head.  
  
“You’re scaring me,” Franky laughed nervously.  
  
“It’s the surname. It’s Doyle.” Franky’s heart dropped.  
  
“What’s the first name?”  
  
“Maria. Is there any relation? If there is I can’t assign you to the case. It’s a conflict of interest.” Franky stopped listening as soon as the name came out of her mouth, and she stopped breathing. She hadn’t heard the name uttered aloud in so many years. Anyone with half a brain knew better. But Festler had no way of knowing what fear the name ignited inside her.  
  
“She’s my mum.” she swallowed. She wanted to spare Imogen of the sordid details. _She’s my birth giver,_ was the more appropriate response. Maria Doyle was not a mother. She was a monster who plagued her dreams decades later.  
  
“Franky, I’m so sorry. She’s died. It was an overdose.”  
  
_‘Bout time she offed herself_ , Franky thought bitterly, still reeling from the unexpected revelation. Truthfully, she was surprised the bitch hadn’t died years ago. “Wait,” she started as the gears in her mind kept turning. “You said it was child abuse.” Didn’t she? Franky was struggling to remember the last five minutes. They felt like an eternity.  
  
“They found a little girl in the home,” Imogen revealed.  
  
“What?” she whispered as her brain struggled to stay focused.  
  
“She had a child. They managed to find a birth certificate. Her name is Tess. She’s five years old. She’s...she’s in pretty rough shape.”  
  
“I want to see her.” The words flew out of her mouth before she’d had time to process them fully.  
  
“Let me drive you to the hospital.” Imogen stood without wasting any time. Franky followed like a little duckling, unsure of what was happening. “Get your coat and call Bridget.” Thankfully Imogen was thinking for her, for which she was grateful. She nodded wordlessly and snagged her coat before they left the office.  
  
The phone call to Bridget was short and concise. _Mum’s dead, there’s a child, meet me at the hospital._ Bridget left work without a single question.

They were met at the hospital by detective Pierce. She was a tall woman with sandy blonde hair and a sharp jawline. They could tell just by the look on her face that the situation was worse than they thought. She escorted them to the intensive care unit, which only confirmed their fears. When they first got a glimpse of Tess, they instantly fell in love. Bridget and Franky had been allowed to look through the window at the tiny little girl sitting on the bared hospital bed. Even though she was incredibly pale, her skin still contained a slight olive tone just like Franky’s. Their mum was Portuguese, so it didn’t surprise her to see. Her hair was dark and wild, landing just around her shoulders in messy tangled waves. The thing that struck Franky the most about her appearance was her eyes. They were sunken in with dark circles underneath, but still a familiar bright shade of green.  
  
“She’s so small,” Franky whispered, touching the glass of the window in front of them. She longed to pull the girl in her arms which was strange for her. She’d never held a child before. Even when given the opportunity, she’d quickly shake her head and make up any excuse. Franky Doyle and kids were like oil and water. Never in her life had she felt such a connection to a child before. And yet here she was, falling head over feet for the little girl as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And judging by the look on Bridget’s face, she was falling head of ridiculous heels.  
  
“It’s most likely due to the fact she’s been malnourished. It is often referred to as psychosocial or stress dwarfism. The body doesn’t grow if the environment and food supply isn’t stable. Thankfully it is temporary, and with time and proper care her growth should pick up. We’re getting her on a regular dosage of vitamins and trying to get her to eat something. That being said, brain scans came back normal, there’s no lasting damage. Which in cases of neglect like this is very rare. It leads me to believe maybe it wasn’t always as bad as it was when we found her.” Pierce said.  
  
“Her mum...our mum, she was a user, but she’d get clean sometimes,” Franky admitted freely. She had stopped feeling personal shame about her mother long ago.  
  
“How long was she there like this?” Bridget couldn’t even begin to imagine what trauma the young girl had faced, watching her mother die in front of her and then being left alone for god knows how long. She was reminded of the movie ‘Nell’, but she never expected to encounter such a work of fiction in real life.  
  
“We are still waiting for the coroner’s report, but just going on decomposition alone, it was likely around a week.” Simultaneously Franky and Bridget’s hearts broke in unison.  
  
“W-Why is she in that cage?” Franky’s protective instinct was already in full effect, especially with the mention of her mother.  
  
“It’s a protective crib,” Pierce clarified. She was hitting and biting the nurses, so it’s for her and the staff’s safety. The bandage wrap around her arm is so she doesn’t pull out the IV,” she explained to them both. “I must warn you, she’s… Tess is not like most five year olds. She hasn’t been socialized and we don’t think she can speak.” Her brown eyes narrowed.  
  
“When can we meet her?” Bridget asked, her hand safely nestled inside Franky’s in a show of silent support. Everything had happened so quickly that they’d hardly gotten a chance to speak about how she was handling things. She appeared strong, but the blonde knew that she was good at saving face. No doubt it was a skill she’d been perfecting her entire life.  
  
“Would you like to go in now?” The detective offered. She’d been assigned to Tess’s case and had been with her since her discovery. Franky nodded almost immediately. Something inside her chest swelled and clenched, made her feel drawn to the little girl, even though they’d never met before.  
  
Detective Pierce entered the room first. Tess startled initially at the sound of the door opening, but relaxed slightly once she saw who it was.  
  
“Hello, Tess. It’s just me,” she said as she approached her bedside slowly. She carefully unlatched the bars of the crib. “I have someone I want you to meet.” Pierce then glanced back as a cue for the two women to enter the room. Bridget led, sensing Franky’s nervousness.  
  
“Stay calm,” Bridget whispered to her wife. She knew children raised in toxic stress such as Tess would need an extremely sensitive approach.  
  
“This is Bridget and Franky.” Tess tensed slightly watching the two enter the room, but she stayed seated on the bed with the detective close by. Her eyes stayed down on her hands which were turning over in her lap restlessly.  
  
“Hi, Tess. That’s such a pretty name.” Bridget smiled when she’d come to stand at the end of Tess’s bed; close, but not too close. Franky stood behind her with her heartbeat pounding loudly in her chest. The blonde used her their linked hands to gently guide Franky into standing beside her. “My name is Bridget and this is Franky.” She introduced the two like it was the most normal thing in the world. She would never understand how Bridget could just...remain so poised at all times. She was always so cool and collected whereas Franky always felt anxious and panicky despite the front she put on for the rest of the world.  
  
“Hi, Tess,” Franky said softly with a slight wave of her hand. Little green eyes finally flashed upwards at the sound of her voice. The hue haunted her as she recalled who it came from. A trait passed down from mum to daughters. A trait that Tess had been conditioned to fear when she saw it. She released a piercing cry as she kicked backwards and curled into herself. She raised her hands in front of her face protectively. Franky immediately stepped back to the door to give her space. Something had obviously spooked the girl, and Franky was almost positive that it was her.  
  
“I-I think she thinks I’m our mum.” Franky knew she bore a striking resemblance to her mother. It had haunted her for a long time, but Bridget had smoothed it all out with ease. She explained that Franky’s heart would always be her own, and that she was everything that Maria Doyle was not. Franky was full of hope. She was kind. And she was fiercely loyal to those she loved. Franky may have looked like her mum, but that is where the similarities stopped.  
  
“Tess, it’s okay. No one here is going to hurt you,” Bridget cooed gently as she crouched down slightly, bringing her height closer to the child’s so she would be less intimidating. Tess peeked out from behind her hands and made eye contact with the blonde through the bars of the crib. Their eyes stayed locked together for a while as Tess took her in. Bridget knew that she was being sussed out by the little girl. Even being so young she was already trained to look for potential threats. It broke her heart. She continued to keep her body and her face relaxed as the little one considered her. After a few silent minutes, Tess slowly pulled herself up and reached her arms to wrap around the blonde’s neck. Franky’s heart began to melt as she saw her partner take the tiny girl into her arms and held her gently against her chest. The oversized hospital gown made her look even smaller than she was as it hung down touching her ankles.  
  
Bridget had always had a way with children. She initially tried to pawn the gift off on her super psych powers, but Franky knew that wasn’t it. She knew it was her pure heart. Kids could sense she was an ally. It shouldn’t have been a surprise when she saw the instant connection between the two. She watched the exchange, all the while keeping herself at a distance.  
  
Detective Pierce moved so Bridget could have a seat in the chair and hold the little brunette. Pierce was surprised, explaining that no one had been able to get close to the girl without being hit, bitten, or scratched so far. Bridget was the first person that she’d allowed to touch her without injury. She’d settled almost instantly against Bridget’s chest and popped her thumb into her mouth. Tentatively Bridget pressed her open palm against Tess’s back to rub it gently. Franky could see the moment the girl relaxed fully and she nearly wept at the sight. Bridget’s eyes met hers and they were glazed over with unshed tears.  
  
“You’re safe, Tess.” She repeated as the girl drifted off to sleep in her arms while she rocked her. Once she’d fallen asleep, the doctor arrived to discuss a plan of action. Trauma had put the little one in survival mode for too long. It was clear that in additional to medical treatment, Tess would need some type of therapy to help her trust anyone after what atrocities she had experienced. Bridget had imagined more than once what Franky had looked like as a small, abused child. But the reality was much worse than any picture her mind had ever painted. Being confronted with the image up close in the form of her tiny sister nearly shattered her heart. She fought to keep it together for the both of them. The doctor pulled a chair over and began to speak.  
  
“We need to keep her for at least a week to monitor her food intake. Her liver shows signs of protein deficiency. That’s why her stomach is distended. Truth be told, I’ve never seen something like this in a child abuse case. If we try to renourish her too quickly, it has some really catastrophic effects. Once we’re sure she’s out of the woods, we think it best to have her meet with a psychologist daily until they can figure out the best care plan,” she explained gently as she sat across from both women. With Tess sleeping, Franky had been able to tiptoe over to sit beside her wife. She watched the little girl out of the corner of her eye.  
  
“Bridget is a psychologist,” Franky finally piped up.  
  
“Not for children, Franky,” the blonde gently corrected.  
  
“So? It’s still gotta be helpful. Look at her with you already.” She motioned at the two. Tess’ breathing had sunk into a rhythmic state as she slept on.  
  
“It’s phenomenal that she is already so trusting of you.” The doctor agreed. ”In cases of severe abuse like this one, that’s rare. But I think that she should definitely see a specialist who is trained in this sort of work. Still, your experience will definitely be helpful. Hopefully it will help her make some progress in speech as well as her social and developmental skills, which are sorely lacking. This isn’t going to be easy, though. She’s going to need a lot of help and a lot of time,” she sighed.  
  
“But you think she’ll be okay?” Franky had only known about her sister’s existence for a total of two hours, and she wanted a guarantee that she would make it. She’d made it away from the clutches of Marie Doyle herself long ago, and she wanted Tess to do the same. She couldn’t let the bitch win.  
  
“Children are some of the most resilient people on this earth. What’s important now is that she has care and support. That being said, it’s obvious she has formed a bond with you.” The doctor gestured towards Bridget and Franky, tilting her head. “Would you consider fostering her until a more permanent placement becomes available?”  
  
“She’s not going to anyone else. She’s my sister. It’s going to be us,” Franky spoke without consulting her partner. She knew in that moment that it even though Bridget was most definitely on the same page, it wouldn’t matter to Franky even if she wasn’t. She would not leave Tess to suffer like she had in the system.  
  
“She’s right. It should be us,” Bridget agreed without a moment of hesitation. She smiled briefly at her partner.  
  
“Before I leave, we also need to make arrangements about your mother.” Franky had been hoping that this conversation could be avoided.  
  
“Burn the bitch or throw her in the fucking ground, I don’t give a shit,” she spat out violently. Bridget gave her the look and wordlessly, Franky listened. She pulled a deep breath in through her nose and let it out through her mouth. “I’m not close with her. I don’t care what happens to her,” she corrected herself. The doctor nodded as she accepted the explanation without pressing further.  
  
“Very well, I will give you all some time to get acquainted. I’ll be back by to check on her in awhile. She’s a very lucky little girl.” The doctor stood and shook both of their hands before exiting the room.

And just like that, without a word to one another they became parents.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of child abuse

The weeks in the hospital had passed by slowly as they alternated their time at Tess’ bedside. When Franky was working at Legal Relief, Bridget was making progress with the wild one. When Bridget had to sneak away to see clients, Franky sat at a safe distance away from her. Close enough that her presence was felt, but far enough that Tess wouldn’t burst into tears at the sight of her.  
  
The ride home was silent as Bridget sat in the backseat beside Tess in her booster seat that had taken Franky a full half hour to figure out how to set up as a string of swear words escaped her mouth. Franky drove uncharacteristically slowly, protecting all of the precious cargo in the backseat. A drive that would have normally taken twenty minutes stretched into thirty. Through the rearview mirror she could see the young girl staring daggers at the back of her head. She doesn’t understand, Franky continued to remind herself.  
  
Once they’d finally gotten home, Bridget unhooked her from her seat and carried her inside. When Tess saw Franky following behind them, she hugged her new friend tighter.  
  
“Welcome home, Tess.” the psychologist smiled as she showed the girl around. Once she’d relaxed a little, the blonde set her down to explore on her own. The clothes that they’d brought her home in were still baggy on her, and the pants bunched around her ankles. Tess shuffled around aimlessly to each room multiple times as if she was trying to memorize the home, or maybe she was looking for her mother. Bridget and Franky gave her the time she needed to explore on her own. When they didn’t see or hear her shuffling any longer, they went to investigate where she’d disappeared to. They stopped midway down the hall only to discover she had tucked herself into the bottom space of the linen closet. Franky’s heart sank into her stomach as she watched the little girl with her legs pulled to her chest. She was hiding, the same way Franky once did. Bridget kneeled and gave her a soft smile.  
  
“You’re safe here, little one. No one is going to hurt you. You don’t have to hide.” Bridget reached her hand out to try and coax the animal out of her cave, but Tess immediately pushed herself further into the closet with a warning grunt. Stay away, she said without words. Bridget took several steps backward bringing Franky with her. “Let’s let her be for now, she’ll come out when she’s ready.” she whispered. The couple then gave her the space she needed to settle in.  
  
She did come out on her own after a long while. Her stealthy feet eventually led her into the kitchen. Franky would not have even heard her if it wasn’t for the sound of her baggy pants dragging on the floor. Weren’t kids supposed to make some noise? Franky watched as Tess stood on her tiptoes and eyed the countertops closely. Then she stopped in front of the refrigerator and placed her palm onto the stainless steel.  
  
“Are you hungry?” Franky approached slowly within her line of sight. Tess held her stomach in response causing Franky to smile. It was obvious Tess understood what they were saying, but something was preventing her from speaking in response. What had their mother done to scare her into silence? “Why don’t we try to eat something?” Franky opened the fridge slowly only for the little girl to shove her way in front of her. Her green eyes danced over the contents, and her mouth fell open, in awe of how many choices there were. Instinct took over tiny body and she climbed onto the first ledge to reach inside. “Woahhh there kiddo. Let me do that. How about we try some yogurt?” Franky picked her up to protect her from falling, and she instantly was met with the sharp pain of Tess’ teeth biting down on her hand. Franky winced at the sudden shock and quickly set her down on the ground. The little girl took a few steps backwards, putting space between the two. Franky got her a container and tore the plastic lid back before grabbing a spoon. The doctor had been very specific in the food Tess was eating. Protein was the greatest concern so yogurt and pedialyte were well stocked on the shelves. With time they’d be able to branch out to other foods, but she had a lot of catching up to do first. She set the yogurt down at the kitchen table. “Come over here, let’s eat, Tess.” Tess just sat down, eyes downcast at the wood floor before staring at her hands again. “What’s wrong kiddo?”  
  
“Maybe try give her some space? She’s probably not used to people watching her eat.”  
  
Franky listened to the advice and sat nearby on the couch. Bridget joined her soon after putting the final touches on Tess’ room. She placed a few of the familiar items from the hospital on the bed to help her settle in - her ratty teddy, and the yellow blanket they’d gifted her while she was staying there.  
  
A few minutes later, they heard some noise from the kitchen behind them. Curiosity got the better of her, and Franky glanced over her shoulder to see the spoon remained where she’d left it, but the container of yogurt had disappeared.  
  
“Gidge,” she whispered softly, touching her wife’s leg to get her attention. Soon the psychologist followed her glance to see the little girl had migrated under the table and was eating the yogurt with her hands.  
  
“She’s never eaten at a table, and I doubt she’s ever had to use silverware either.” Bridget interpreted the actions. Franky nodded softly.  
  
When Tess finished, she returned the empty container to the table and yogurt was smeared all over her face and hands. Silently and slowly she crawled out from under her safe place and went back to the fridge. She stood on tiptoes trying to reach the handle.  
  
“You still hungry?” Tess touched her stomach again knowing that it had given her what she wanted when she did. Franky held out another open container. Tentatively Tess reached out and snatched it before she disappeared back under the table. Franky decided to busy herself with some cleaning just so she could keep a closer eye on her sister. Just as she was about to finish loading the dishwasher, she felt a tiny hand tug at her shirt. She looked down to see Tess’ face had gone white and she looked nervous.  
  
“You okay, bub?” Franky asked as she kneeled down to her height. Then without a second to prepare herself, Tess vomited all over the front of Franky’s shirt. “Fuck!” She swore in shock. The little girl immediately began to cry and retreat back to safety under the protective layer of the table. “Shit, Tess. It’s okay.” Franky tried to soothe her as the girl rocked herself back and forth.  
  
“What’s going-oh, Franky.” Bridget saw the scene as she entered the room. “Get changed and take a shower. I’ll handle this. Tess baby? It’s alright. Your tummy just got too full and you got sick. Can you come here for me please?” Bridget extended her hand under the table. She was automatically so in tune with her it almost made Franky angry. Shouldn’t there be same weird sisterly bond between the two, and not this weird psychologist thing? She did her best not to let it get to her, but with her hand still stinging from Tess’ tiny teeth and vomit still warm on her shirt it seemed unavoidable. With a sigh she went into their bedroom and into the ensuite where she stripped and showered quickly before slipping into sweats and a T-shirt. In truth, she was annoyed with herself more than anything else. She felt downright awful for having scared her sister. Franky had experienced a lot in her years, but never in her life had she ever expected to be puked on by a miniature version of herself. She’d need to do a better job of controlling herself, mainly her mouth, around the fragile little girl.  
  
In the other room, tears stained Tess’ cheeks as Bridget coaxed her out from under the table. “No one’s going to hurt you Tess, you’re safe here,” she said softly to her as she rocked herself under the table. She resembled a wild animal, the way her eyes flitted around the room searching for any potential danger. Bridget had read about feral children in her days at Uni, but nothing would prepare her to handle something so close to the real thing. Especially one that resembled her partner so much.  
  
“Why don’t we try to take a bath?” She extended her hand with her palm towards the ceiling as if to say, _I’m not a threat to you_. Tess’s face showed no signs of emotion, but she slowly crawled out on her hands and knees and placed her tiny hand inside Bridget’s palm. She then allowed the blonde to pick her up and carry her into the other bathroom. Bridget did not like how easily she was able to pick her up, the little girl was like a feather in her arms. Her bones screamed from beneath her thin skin. She knew with time that they’d able to heal and strengthen her body, but the lasting effects to her psyche were another matter completely.

Noticing the water in the other room was off, Bridget knew her partner was out of the shower. “Hey Franky,” she called out down the hall, “can you bring us some of those bath toys that we got?” She went into the bathroom and set Tess up on the closed lid of the toilet while she prepared a bath. A moment later her wife popped her head in the bathroom sporting a clean shirt and wet hair.  
  
“Here you go,” she extended the bin of bath toys towards Bridget kneeling on the bath rug. Bridget shook her head.  
  
“Why don’t you give them to her?” she suggested as she checked the water’s temperature one more time with her hand. She was used to preparing baths for herself that were near scalding, but that was the last thing she wanted to do to the little girl sitting behind her. She knew that Tess would be feeling vulnerable, and she wanted to make her as relaxed as possible in the new space. She added a capful of bubbles and watched as they overtook the water. Tess seemed to perk up from her seat at the sight.  
  
After a moment’s hesitation, Franky stepped in and showed the bin full of toys to her sister. Tess glanced up to her sister once briefly, but her eyes immediately dropped back to her hands. Maintaining eye contact was foreign to the little one.  
  
“Tess I’m sorry I yelled earlier. I didn’t mean to scare you, I was just surprised. We got you some toys to play with while you’re in the tub,” she narrated aloud. The therapist assigned to her case had suggested that they talk out loud as much as possible to ease her nerves. It might also be a way to encourage the little girl to do the same.  
  
The small girl leaned forward investigating the the bin in front of her. Tentatively she reached inside and retrieved a dinosaur that squirt water when filled, she then grabbed a squishy shark in her other hand. She clutched the toys to her chest, fearing that they would get taken away.  
  
“It’s all ready, would you like to get in?” Bridget offered from her crouched position. Tess held out her arms for Franky to help her down from her spot atop the closed toilet seat giving the elder sister a bit of hope, but as soon as her little feet hit the floor she pushed Franky’s hands away in favor of the blonde psychologist. Franky did her best to not take it personally, but she’d desperately longed to hold her since she’d first laid eyes on her back in the hospital.  
  
“Is it okay if I help you undress?” Tess stepped over towards Bridget and extended her arms over her head, giving her permission to help her. It was then that they were able to see the true extent of the child’s state. She was skin and bones. Her belly was slightly bloated like a malnourished child you might see on those advertisements on television. Her limbs were too thin, leaving her knobby elbows and knees jutting out. Bridget lifted her into the bubble bath and she immediately dunked the toy dinosaur into the water and began playing. Franky couldn’t contain the smile crossing her face.  
  
“She’s beautiful, Baby,” Bridget leaned back on her heels to admire the innocence of the child in front of them as she played in the water.  
  
“She adores you,” the brunette mentioned as Bridget began to wet the girl’s hair before she washed it. Judging by the state of her unkempt locks, it had been a great while since it had been washed. She’d needed a good scrub, but the nurses had not been able to bathe her without being kicked or bitten. Here in the safety of the tub, she seemed content to let Bridget clean her grimy body.  
  
“Kids are gifted. They can sense psychs and the like from far away.” Bridget squirted a generous amount of body wash into a washcloth before bringing it over Tess’ back where her ribs were on full display.  
  
“Then why can’t she sense I’m her sister?” Franky asked softly. It should have been her bathing her sister now, and building that bond.  
  
“You said it yourself. She might think that you’re her mum. With time she’ll begin to realize that you are separate people.” Bridget explained.  
  
“Do you think so?” She needed a promise that this was temporary. She needed to know that Tess wouldn’t look at her with fear in her eyes forever.  
  
“Baby, you are nothing like your mother.”  
  
Franky remained silent as she watched her lover wash and condition Tess’s hair, taming her wild locks behind her shoulders.  
  
“Well there she is,” Bridget cooed to the little girl. “There’s Tess.” The little girl didn’t smile in response, but she did wiggle around within the water. When she’d finally finished the psychologist scooped the little girl up from the cloudy water, wrapped her in a towel and dried her off. Across the skin of her side, Franky could see the all too familiar circular scars forming a small constellation. Just how early did her mother start to abuse Tess? It made her feel sick to think about her crying alone afterwards with the smell of burned flesh lingering in the air. No amount of time would ever let her forget that smell.  
  
“What she did to me was bad, but I never imagined she could do something like this.” Franky shook her head. “How didn’t she get spotted years ago? Surely social services keeps track of things like that.” She did her best to control her anger. She promised to investigate further when she returned to work. Someone was going to pay.  
  
“What matters is that she’s safe now,” Bridget reminded her calmly. She didn’t want Franky’s temper to flare up in front of the little girl again. “Now let’s get you ready for bed, little one,” she smiled as she led Tess towards her bedroom. Franky followed from a safe distance behind. “This is your bedroom,” Bridget set her down and let her explore. She wandered around the space stopping every so often to investigate a toy that caught her eye. No doubt that the pair had gone overboard when they went shopping. They didn’t know what Tess would like so they got her a little of everything, in part to ease the heavy burden of guilt they both felt. Hopefully the little girl would find something she enjoyed in the sea of new toys. Franky wondered if she had ever even had toys to pick from before? Would she even understand that they were for her? In the end Tess left the toys in their places around the room in favor of Franky’s old mangy teddy bear with a tear in the belly. Bridget made a mental note to sew and wash the little bear.  
  
Bridget had pulled out a pair of pajamas with stars all over them from the small dresser. The five year old was still dressing in toddler sizes. They’d compared the little clothes in the store to what size she should have been wearing and it left them speechless. She also grabbed a pull up from the top drawer. Even at five years old, she was still not potty trained. Franky knew that her mother was probably too off her face to care. When the detectives had discovered her, she was cowering in a corner wearing nothing but a dirty pull-up. They hoped with time they’d be able to help the girl catch up both physically and developmentally. Bridget would focus on the mental and Franky the physical.  
  
“Can I help you get dressed for bed?” she asked, showing Tess the shirt and pants in her hands. Bridget had mentioned teaching Tess the idea of consent seeing as she’d never had the choice before. She stepped closer and extended the ends of her towel to Bridget to take. Quickly she helped the woman dress her. She almost looked normal with a clean body and clothes other than a hospital gown, but looks could be deceiving. “Alright, into bed you go,” she lifted her into the small bed and brought the covers to her chin. She placed the teddy bear into her arms. “We will be right outside if you need anything okay?” the blonde promised. Tess blinked, but didn’t react to the words in the slightest. Bridget knew that it was too early for bedtime kisses, but she hoped that they’d someday work up to it. The couple slipped out of the bedroom, leaving the door open just a crack to the hallway. The little girl immediately began to wail miserably from the room. Bridget couldn’t stop herself from slipping back inside, unable to listen to her cries. “What’s wrong, baby?” She asked from her resumed place at her bedside. Wordlessly, Tess reached her hands around Bridget’s neck to be held. Bridget sighed, but quickly accepted the small child back into her arms. Once wrapped up and held against her chest, Tess popped her thumb into her mouth and began to suck it in an attempt to soothe herself.  
  
“Maybe she’s scared?” Franky offered as she watched the girl cling to her wife.  
  
“You’re right. Why don’t we just stay with her until she falls asleep?” Bridget suggested.  
  
But Tess didn’t fall asleep. She continued to whine and whimper inside the protection of Bridget’s arms. Whenever her eyes began to flutter closed and she calmed slightly the psychologist would try lay her back down, but she clinged desperately at her. Around the fourth attempt, Bridget had finally given up. She gently carried Tess out and they moved into the living room. Still sobbing, she pointed to the kitchen.  
  
“Ba!” She cried until she was red in the face. It had been the first time she had spoken. Bridget and Franky’s eyes met to share their shock. The doctor had said she had made no attempt at speech and they weren’t even sure she was capable at all.  
  
“What’s that Tess?” Bridget asked softly, tucking her locks away from her reddened face.  
  
“Ba!” She screamed. Unsure of what exactly she was asking for, Bridget carried her into the kitchen and set her down. She let Tess direct her to what she wanted. She scampered over to the fridge and beat on it with her fists, so Bridget opened it. Immediately her green eyes began to scan the shelves, but she couldn’t see what she was looking for so she reached up for Bridget to lift her again. From the safety of Bridget’s arms, Tess leaned in and touched her palm to the carton of milk.  
  
“Bottle,” Franky whispered knowingly from her spot on the other side of the kitchen island. “She wants a bottle.” She began to boil over with anger at her lousy excuse for a mother. Five years old and she was still begging to drink milk out of a bottle.  
  
“Vera left one of Aiden’s over here the other week.” Bridget remembered that in her haste to leave to get her son home, her friend had left behind a bottle. Bridget had washed it and placed it away to return later. She started towards the cabinet with their glassware.  
  
“Let me get that, short stuff,” Franky gently moved her over so she could pick it up from the top shelf with ease. Tess howled and grabbed at her the moment that she laid a hand on her wife. Bridget quickly moved back as the girl bared her teeth to her predator while she screamed.  
  
“Shh, it’s okay. No one’s going to hurt you,” she tried to soothe her. Franky reached up and snatched the bottle from its high space. As soon as it fell inside Tess’ line of sight she stopped snarling. She began to bounce in Bridget’s arms and a smile washed over her face. It was the first one that they had seen since meeting her weeks ago.  
  
“Just half full, please,” the blonde requested as she rocked the girl in her arms. Knowing that she’d spilled the contents of her stomach over Franky’s shirt earlier that evening, she didn’t want to risk a repeat performance.  
  
“Should we warm it up?” Franky had no idea where to begin as she poured the milk into the bottle with shaky hands. It was obvious that Tess feared her, and it wasn’t as if Franky could blame her. But seeing the way that Tess snapped at her shook her to her very core.  
  
“Yes, it might help her fall asleep.” Franky nodded and went for the microwave. “Wait no, not the microwave. Warm it under the tap.” She moved to go for the sink, passing the girls and Tess tensed as she did. Once she had the bottle warmed she reached to hand it to Bridget.  
  
“What is that, Tess?”  
  
“Baba!” The little girl responded to the question as she reached. The blonde was elated. Tess had just understood and verbally responded to a question. They were making progress already. Franky then handed it over to her sister who accepted it immediately and began to drink the contents. Bridget sat with her on the couch as the television played quietly in the background. Instantly, the little girl relaxed fully against Bridget’s chest as her eyes settled upon the tv and she sucked away at the bottle. Once she’d finished, she was asleep in a matter of ten minutes while being cradled in Bridget's arms.  
  
“She likes the tv.” Bridget whispered as she caressed the girl’s back. Franky sat down on the other side of the couch, lifting her partner’s legs into her lap. “Franky? I’d like to take some time off to be with her during the day.” She wasn’t sure why, but she was afraid to speak to Franky about her desire to stay at home with the little girl.  
  
“I know, love. We’ve got the next two weeks together.” Franky squeezed one of Bridget’s feet between her hands.  
  
“No, Franky I mean after that,” she confessed.  
  
“You want to be a stay at home mum?” Franky stopped the movements of her hands and cocked an eyebrow. Bridget Westfall was a workaholic if there ever was one. She prided herself on her work and it showed. She was well known throughout the Melbourne community as one of the finest psychologists. Franky couldn’t picture the cunning woman being content with a life of picture books and messy hands.  
  
“Yes, I’ve got quite a bit of savings, so we’d be alright financially. How would you feel about that?” The blonde was unable to meet Franky’s undoubtedly shocked face. She instead busied herself with looking down to the sleeping angel in her arms. It was the first time she’d gotten such a close up look at the girl. Small freckles dusted over her nose and cheeks, but you’d only be able to tell from such a close vantage point. They were just like her older sister’s. Once Franky had confessed that she covered them up with make up most of the time in prison because she felt they made her look weak.  
  
“Are you sure about this? Gidge, I know it’s a lot to take in, especially in such a short amount of time. We haven’t even talked about kids.” Franky’s stomach was in knots. She’d been so willing to take her sister in, but hadn’t had a chance to gauge how Bridget felt on that. She knew that her wife would understand her wish to protect the girl, but would she be happy? Would she eventually grow to resent Franky? Anything that the couple did, they did together after consulting with one another. _Whatever happens, we’re in this together._  
  
“There is no place I would rather be right now.” She replied honestly. She’d never told Franky, but part of Bridget had always longed to raise a child. The circumstances were not as she imagined, but perhaps this was the universe smiling down to her.  
  
“Swear?” Franky leaned in and brushed her fingers under Bridget’s chin so she could look into her eyes.  
  
“Have I ever lied to you?” Blue met green.  
  
“One time in a kitchen,” Franky smirked. Of course, she’d bring that up. Franky had a way of reading Bridget like a book from early on. Although they tried to fight it, their chemistry had been undeniable. _You can’t hide from me_. It was no surprise when the blonde tried to deny that she was in love with her. Bridget giggled softly at the memory. “I never imagined us to be here. We’ve never talked about this.”  
  
“There’s nothing to talk about. I saw the way you looked at her in the hospital, baby. She’s family and if there is one thing I know about you, Franky Doyle, is that you are loyal to your family.” The comment caused the brunette’s cheeks to blush.  
  
“So we’re doing this? You’re sure?” she asked just one more time.  
  
“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life,” Bridget stated honestly. With Tess sleeping soundly, they were finally able to settle her into her bed with little fuss.  
“Her teddy,” Bridget motioned to the stuffed animal that had fallen in the doorway. Franky hesitated before leaning down to pick it up. It had been a gift from her father when she turned five. She remembered waking up on her birthday to find it with a bright red ribbon tied around his neck in a bow. Of course, the ribbon had since been lost along with one of the rounded ears. The softness of the fur had been worn away and was now threadbare. Franky had taken it everywhere with her until her mum finally ripped it out of her hands one day and said _‘Only babies carry teddies, Francesca’._  
  
“I thought she would have gotten rid of this along time ago,” Franky whispered as she looked at it for a moment longer before handing it over to her wife. Bridget tucked it in beside the slumbering child. They slipped out and went down the hall into their bedroom.  
  
“It was yours?” Franky nodded in response, not willing to give much more explanation than that. The topic of Franky’s childhood wasn’t off limits, but it was most certainly not an everyday subject. Little bits and pieces had come up on occasion. During their first breakfast together in bed, Bridget noticed that Franky had not touched the eggs on her plate. She didn’t offer much of an explanation aside from “It’s all we had growing up. Can’t stand to eat them now.” The thought of going there now while being confronted with an item from Franky’s past was almost too much for the psychologist to handle. She was exhausted.  
  
Shortly after the couple had finally fallen asleep in their bed, they were awakened with a loud clattering from down the hall. Franky was the first to jump up and rush toward the sound. If Bridget hadn’t have been so startled, she would have had time to process how quickly Franky’s protective instinct had developed. She padded down the hallway herself to see what had caused such a ruckus.  
  
“Tess!” Franky yelled as she saw the little girl standing on the counter on her tiptoes with her hands digging deep in the pantry. She’d pulled open the drawers to use as makeshift stairs for herself to climb up. The refrigerator was wide open and the contents were spilled over the floor. Bites had been taken out of various items before they were discarded in search of more. Tess froze in fear once she’d heard her name yelled out. Scared, she knocked a glass jar full of cereal onto the floor, the resulting shatter causing her to jump. “Fuck!” the brunette gasped as she tried to rush towards the girl who began to cry.  
  
“Franky! Stop!” Bridget muttered through clenched teeth as she threw an arm over her chest to prevent her from moving another step. “You’re scaring her. Please go grab the broom and some towels. Go slowly.” Taken aback by Bridget’s intervention, Franky did as she was told and retreated down the hall like a chastised dog with its tail between its legs. A dog that had been told to go fetch after being smacked.  
  
“It’s okay, Tess. Can I come help you down?” Bridget asked as she carefully navigated her bare feet through the smattering of food and glass on the floor. The little girl nodded as sobs continued to wrack her chest. Carefully Bridget scooped her up like a baby in her arms. She had torn into more yogurt containers, the evidence of which was covering her cheeks and hands. Tess held her stomach with a wince on her face. She quickly brought the little girl to the sink where she began to cough up the excess contents of her stomach in between cries. When she had finished, Bridget gave her a glass of water to sip from, but quickly realized she didn’t know how to drink from it. She did her best to get her to take a couple of gulps, but drips of water still slipped down her chin. She then brushed a washcloth over her red face, removing the food residue.  
  
“Tess, honey? If you’re hungry you need to let me or Franky help you get something to eat, okay? We don’t want you to hurt yourself.” The little girl rubbed her tired eyes. It was then that Bridget noticed the wetness that had gathered down the legs of the girl’s pajamas. She brushed her hand over the girls cheek lovingly. Tess’ eyes fluttered closed and leaned into the soft caress causing Bridget to smile. The small act had given her hope that much like her wife, Tess wasn’t unreachable after all.  
  
Franky returned from grabbing the supplies that her wife had requested, but waited at the end of the hallway until she was sure she was allowed to enter. She swallowed back her shame.  
  
“Gidge?” She asked, tentatively taking a step forward with broom in hand. Never in her life did she think she would need to ask permission to enter a room in her own home. Hearing orders barked at her sent her back behind the teal walls and barbed wire fences that she’d fought hard to escape from. And yet here she was again, standing in a doorframe waiting as if it were the evening count.  
  
“Don’t come any closer, just leave them on the island.” Bridget commanded without so much as a glance back to her. “She’s frightened. Can you get a new pull up and some pants? She leaked through.” Shaking herself from her thoughts, Franky laid the broom against the island and deposited the towels on the countertop before turning back down the hall to dutifully retrieve the new items. Meanwhile Bridget stood the little girl on the countertop beside the large kitchen sink. “Tess, can I help you get out of those wet clothes?” The girl nodded with a shiver and let Bridget helped slip the soiled clothes off and discarded them onto the floor. She helped Tess into the sink and began to use the side sprayer to bathe her clean. Instantly when the warm water hit her legs, Tess released a tiny coo and the tension from her body was gone. “Does that feel good?” Bridget whispered down to the little girl. Tess looked up and smiled blissfully at Bridget through her heavy eyelids. The longer she continued, the heavier Tess’s body pressed against Bridget’s form.  
  
“I got them,” Franky whispered from the hallway. Bridget had just finished cleaning her off and was wrapping the exhausted girl in a towel. She cradled her in her arms and swayed softly until Tess had fallen asleep with her tiny hand clutching tightly to Bridget’s shirt. Slowly she walked towards the couch and sat down.  
  
“She’s asleep, you can come over here now.” The blonde patted the spot beside her.  
  
“Did I do that?” Franky asked as she took two shaky steps forward and extended the requested items to her wife. She wasn’t sure why she asked a question that she already knew the answer to. Maybe it was to gain some reassurance that it wasn’t in fact her fault. She stood awkwardly nearby.  
  
“Can you help me with these?” Bridget carefully unfolded the towel wrapped around Tess’ waist. Slowly Franky came to sit beside her and helped her redress the slumbering child. Once they had finished, the pair fell into silence as they watched over her.  
  
“Gidge…” Finally Franky developed the courage to speak, but was still unsure of exactly what she wanted to say. _I fucked up...again._ “I’m sorry.” She finally settled on an apology, hoping it was a good enough place to start.  
  
“It’s not me you should be apologizing to.” Bridget didn’t raise her eyes to look at the woman to whom she was speaking, instead she gazed down on the child she held protectively in her arms.  
  
“I know… I was scared, I didn’t want her to get hurt,” Franky tried to explain. It had all happened so fast, and Franky had panicked seeing Tess standing so dangerously close to the edge of the counter. Her brain had immediately pictured the girl falling and smacking her head on the hard floor and then being rushed right back to the hospital they had just left. Was this what parenthood was like? Envisioning a million different ways in which a kid could hurt themselves? Her stomach flipped at the thought.  
  
“She doesn’t understand that, Franky. She doesn’t understand why you were yelling. In her mind, yelling means that she’s going to get beaten or worse. That’s what she’s been conditioned to expect. Especially from...” Bridget’s words tapered off, unsure if she should continue her train of thought. Instead she brushed Tess’ locks behind her ear.  
  
“From me?” Franky finished for her. Bridget finally brought her eyes up to her wife. She could see the pain behind the emerald green hue. “What do you mean?” Franky’s eyebrows knit with confusion. Was she really going there?  
  
“Don’t make me say it,” the blonde whispered. She knew she was treading on dangerous ground. Yes, the two had already had the resemblance conversation, but Bridget did not want to be the one to bring it up again. She had first gotten a glimpse of how much hatred Franky held for her mother inside her small office. Right before Franky confessed to an accidental murder. Even mentioning the name, Maria Doyle could have dangerous repercussions.  
  
“Because I look like mum?” Franky finally broke the tension.  
  
“Yes.” Her wife nodded solemnly.  
  
“So what, just because I look like her must mean I’ll act like her too, ay?” The tensness had found its way into Franky’s shoulders. Her wall was back up firmly in place.  
  
“Franky, please. Do not make this about you right now. You wanted me to be honest, and so I am. She’s scared of you, and truthfully you haven’t given her a reason not to be.” Bridget hated when she had to bring out her psychologist tool box, but if they were going to make a functioning and loving home for Tess, it was necessary. But one thing was certain about her wife; she needed to be pushed and prodded.  
  
“I’m doing the best I can,” Franky croaked out as her eyes filled with tears. Just as Bridget had always known, hiding passed all of that anger was fear.  
  
“I know, Baby.” Bridget brought her palm to Franky’s flushed cheek and brushed a stray tear away with her thumb.  
  
“So what am I supposed to do?” Franky asked as she tried to blink her tears away.  
  
“Just try to relax. She can feel and hear your tension. Did you mother swear a lot?”  
  
“Who do you think I got this mouth from, the milkman?” Franky crossed her arms over her chest protectively as she leaned back against the couch. Bridget cocked an eyebrow at her in response. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean that. I’m just scared she’s never going to trust me like she trusts you.” _There she is_ , Bridget thought. She smiled softly and pulled Franky in to deliver a kiss to her forehead.  
  
“So let that be what’s pushing you. I know you love her otherwise she wouldn’t be here. You’ve worked so hard to get where you are now with your temper, and I’m so proud of you. But you’re going to need to work even harder to gain her trust.” Franky nodded as she took in Bridget’s words.  
  
“I’ll try, but I might need some help.” Franky nodded as she lay her head against her wife’s shoulder.  
  
“Should we get a swear jar?” Bridget smiled at the thought. _We might need a swear barrel instead of a jar._  
  
“We’d be millionaires if we did that. Besides, I’m pretty sure we need baby locks before a swear jar, Gidge,” Franky laughed as she glanced back at their disastrous kitchen.  
  
“And more yogurt,” Bridget added with one last glance down to the sleeping girl in her arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Your comments are always appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

After two weeks, Franky had to return to work which meant that Bridget and Tess were at home together on their own. The two were like peas in a pod. It filled Franky with such a sense of pride to know that her wife was making so much progress with her sister. Weekends were Franky’s opportunity to thank her by letting her sleep in late and wake up to the sweet smell of breakfast from down the hall. Tess on the other hand, was still a different story.  
  
Although Franky wasn’t particularly frightened of her little sister, certain qualities did make her a little uneasy. She didn’t mind the anger and the fear, she understood where those came from. But nothing would prepare her for the little girl’s stealth. She had expected her and Bridget’s quiet home to be invaded with noise after she’d had some time to settle in, but it wasn’t. Tess was… silent, in the way she navigated herself around the house. She could disappear without a sound into one of her numerous hiding spots that she had found and Franky and Bridget would be left searching for her cluelessly.  
  
Franky went to wake her in the morning for breakfast only to find her bed to be empty with the sheets kicked to the bottom. She searched under the table and in the linen closet only to come up empty handed. Unable to admit defeat, she continued to look for the little girl as she swore under her breath. Around her fourth loop of their home Franky spotted a tiny foot peeking out from underneath the girl’s bed. She smiled softly as bent down to see Tess curled up under the bed with her teddy.  
  
“Tess, would you-”  
  
“NO!” The little girl yelled as soon as Franky came into her line of vision. Franky’s body jumped back in shock, and she quickly stepped back to the doorway to give the girl space.  
  
“I’m going to make breakfast if you want some,” Franky tried once more, quietly.  
  
“No!” The girl snapped again and pulled her foot out of sight.  
  
“Suit yourself, kid.” Franky sighed and shook her head. She went back into the kitchen to begin cooking. There was something about being in the kitchen that put Franky’s mind at ease. She loved to cook and she was damn good at it too. She quickly whisked some batter together for pancakes and poured some into a preheated pan. She began flipping them rhythmically as she prepped the other parts of their meal, feeling herself decompress while she was in her element. It wasn’t long until she felt eyes staring at her back. She didn’t turn this time, instead giving her mini-me the opportunity to proceed at her own speed. Slowly but surely the little girl tiptoed her way into the kitchen until she was standing right beside her older sister with her teddy in hand.  
  
“You hungry?” Franky asked. Tess’s face didn’t move to respond to the question, her eyes stayed fixed on the pan. The only indication that she heard Franky at all was her small hand pressing to her stomach. One thing was to be said about Tess Doyle: once she had discovered the world of good food, all she wanted to do was eat. Bridget and Franky had woken the first few nights to find Tess trying to tear her way into the newly-locked cabinets. Never in her life had food been so readily available to her. She’d made herself sick during the first few meals, unable to slow down and relax. After about a month, she finally began to realize that the food wasn’t going anywhere. How long had she gone without to make her feel that way though? Amazingly the girl who had once weighed just over twelve kilos had already gained five and was still growing. Franky continued flipping the pancakes and setting the finished ones on the waiting plate beside her. As the pile grew, Tess stepped closer and closer, drawn in by the delicious smell overtaking the room.  
  
Franky had turned to start on whisking some eggs when she noticed the little girl silently creep up to the steaming plate.  
  
“Careful, it’s hot,” Franky warned, watching her tiny fingers reach to grab for a pancake off the top of the pile without her noticing. Tess immediately retreated under the table to safety when she’d been caught. Franky turned back around with a small plate and extended it to Tess under the table. “Can I help you get one?“ She asked softly as the little girl came back out of hiding. Tess held the plate in both her hands and Franky picked the fluffiest pancake of the bunch and set it on top of the waiting plate. “Here you go,” Franky smiled seeing Tess’ eyes grow large, taking in her prize. She quickly darted back underneath the table to eat in peace. They’d been told not to press the issue too much too soon. Food had been Tess’ biggest concern her whole life, and it was going to take time to adjust her to the life of a typical five year old. If eating underneath the table made her feel safe, they’d let her.  
  
Franky continued to work on the rest of the meal: frying bacon and scrambling eggs. She’d gotten so lost in the rhythm she hardly noticed when the little hand reached up and tugged on her apron. She glanced down to see Tess holding her empty plate up to her for more. She could have wept with joy at the sight. Instead, she smiled softly and delivered another pancake to the girl with some eggs and bacon beside it. Tess’s eyebrows knit with confusion when she saw Franky add the other items to her plate.  
  
“Try them. These are eggs and this is bacon.” Franky pointed to both of them and she even stole a piece of bacon from her own plate and began to eat it. “It’s good, see?” Tess was back under the table in a flash, poking a the new dishes with her fingers. Tentatively she brought the piece of bacon to her nose and sniffed before allowing herself to take a bite. Soon enough the whole piece was gone and her hand reached out from under the table for Franky to deliver another piece with a little demanding grunt. “What about the eggs?” Franky waited to hand the other slice over until she’d at least tried the other food. Tess tasted a small piece, but it was immediately spit right back onto her plate. She shook her head no from side to side and Franky laughed softly under her breath. “So no eggs, but yes to bacon. You must be my sister after all. I hate eggs too. But they’re Gidget’s favorite.” Franky forked over two more pieces of bacon to the child.  
  
“What’s my favorite?” Bridget asked, entering the disastrous kitchen. The counters were littered with dirty bowls and ingredients and the floor was littered with pieces of food from their messy girl. In a previous life, the state of the kitchen would have caused her great anxiety, but looking at the two Doyle girls interacting together warmed her to her very core.  
  
“Eggs,” Franky responded before wrapping her arms around her wife and giving her a kiss.  
  
“You taste like bacon,” Bridget giggled against her lips. Seeing that the petite blonde had joined them, Tess was out from hiding and her greasy hands were on Bridget’s waist begging to be pulled up into her arms. “Just a moment, Tess.” Bridget said while softly touching the girl’s shoulder as she kissed Franky once more. “Good morning. How’s breakfast coming?” Tess continued to tug at her sleep shirt and whined as the two adults conversed. They’d been practicing delayed gratification, as Bridget had called it.  
  
“Good, Tess likes bacon and she hate eggs,” Franky explained as she looked down at the little girl who was turning red in the face. Tess tried once more to physically separate the two with her small arms by digging her nails into Franky’s forearm. She’d still had yet to let Franky hold her, but the moment Bridget walked in a room she wanted to be in her arms. Sure, she knew that Tess’ fear of her was not unwarranted; she looked like her mum. It was going to take a lot of time for her to detach the two separate women in her mind. But it didn’t make it any easier watching her so desperate for Bridget’s love while rejecting her own. She shoved Franky back once more with all her might, letting out a howl.  
  
“Tess that is not nice. Can you tell me what you want?” Bridget asked softly as she bent down to talk to the child. She lifted her arms up for the blonde to scoop her up. Trying to get her to use her voice was proving challenging, especially when Franky would cave and give the girl what she wanted. She couldn’t help wanting to please her, thinking that maybe if she gave in, she’d win her over faster. But no matter what she did, the little girl wasn’t budging. “Do you want up?” Bridget tried to help the girl, but Tess was nearing meltdown and stomping her feet loudly. She nodded and tried to climb her way into the blonde’s arms herself, but Bridget held her back. “You can say it, you’re a big girl. Say up please,” she coaxed once more.  
  
“Up-pease!” Tess finally uttered through tears with her hands held to the heavens. Bridget scooped her up and rewarded her with a smattering of kisses over her cheeks. Tess’s arms wrapped tightly around her neck. “Remember what you say next?”  
  
“Thank you.” she hiccuped and buried her face in Bridget’s hair.  
  
“You’re welcome, Tess. Can we sit at the table and have breakfast?” Tess nodded and Bridget sat at the table with the little girl in her lap. She sighed contently and leaned her head back against Bridget’s shoulder while the couple started to eat.  
  
“What should we do today?” Bridget asked both the Doyle girls.  
  
“I was thinking maybe we could try to go to the zoo?” Franky suggested as she picked at the remaining pieces of her pancake on her plate that she was unable to eat. Getting shoved away by Tess had left her with that familiar, sour feeling in her stomach. From across the table she could see Tess eyeing her. She slid the plate across the table and watched as little hands reached to devour her new favorite food.  
  
“Wait,” Bridget stopped her hands only to be met with a short whine. Bridget stabbed a piece of pancake with a fork and held it out to Tess. The little girl blinked and looked back to Bridget as if she had somehow sprouted two heads. Franky stifled a laugh at the exchange. Bridget then modeled how to use the utensil. Next she put Tess’ hand on the fork before placing Tess’ hand over her own. She guided them both in picking up another piece and bringing it to the small girl’s mouth. She opened her mouth comically wide and gobbled up the piece.  
  
“Mmm!” she smacked her lips and wiggled in Bridget’s arms.  
  
“Is that good?” Franky asked with a smile across her face. Tess nodded dramatically and opened her mouth for another bite as she tried to guide Bridget’s hand to stab another piece. Both her and Bridget began to laugh as they watched her continue to ‘feed herself’.  
  
Once Bridget had managed to clean all the syrup off Tess’s hands and face, they set to work preparing their little family for the zoo. While Bridget was on Tess detail, Franky packed the bag with everything that she could think of: pullups, spare clothes, snacks, juice, and toys. By the time she had finished, she had trouble closing the bag.  
  
“Are we going on holiday or to the zoo?” Bridget teased as she zipped Tess’ jumper and tried to get her to keep her shoes on.  
  
“Just trying to make sure we have everything.” Franky blushed as she shrugged the bag over her shoulder. “The stroller’s already in the car.”  
  
“Well girls, are we ready for a trip to the zoo?” Bridget smiled at her favorite five year old.

The first twenty minutes of their drive were filled with Tess’s desperate cries for Bridget in the front seat. She reached her hands as far as her seat would allow, but was still unable to get to her. The longer they continued on the road, the more shrill her cries became.  
  
“Tess, baby. It’s okay, I’m right here see?” Bridget turned around so the little girl could see she wasn’t far. The little brunette then began to throw her head backwards against her booster seat until Franky pulled off to the side of the road with shaking hands. “Why’d you stop?” Bridget asked with confusion painted on her face. Was she not in the same vehicle? Did she not hear the screams?  
  
“Maybe you should sit back with her,” Franky suggested. Anything to make the poor dear stop screaming into her ears. The high pitched wail made her heart rate soar. What should have been a thirty minute drive was feeling like an eternity.  
  
“She has to get used to sitting by herself.” _Yes, but you’re not the one behind the wheel,_ Franky thought.  
  
“But she’s really upset,” she tried again. Just then Tess screeched loudly from the backseat, causing Franky to jump. “Just please, do something,” she begged.  
  
“Why don’t we try a toy?” Bridget reached down to her feet where the diaper bag was lodged and reached inside for Tess’ favorite shark from bathtime. She’d become so attached to the thing, she had started climbing into the tub during the day and carrying it around with her. She leaned back to offer it to the girl who immediately took it and held it to her chest. It wasn’t long until the tail was in her mouth and she was sucking it like a pacifier as if all was right in the world. It seemed to be working, the blood curdling screams had stopped, so Franky was able to ease back onto the road again toward their original destination.  
  
Franky felt like she was ready to turn around and go home as soon as they’d made it into the car park. As if the drive hadn’t been stressful enough, by the time they parked, Tess had already managed to wet a pullup and lose both shoes. While Bridget changed her in the back hatch of their SUV, Franky was tasked with finding her shoes. She tried to contort her tall form enough to look under the seats and came up empty handed.  
  
“They’re gone,” She announced, exasperated from her search.  
  
“She had them on when we got in the car, they can’t have disappeared,” Bridget yelled back to her as she pulled Tess’s clothes back on after a quick change. She noted how the once baggy sweats now fit her nicely. “I bet that feels better, hm?” She smiled down at the girl.  
  
“Maybe she’s a magician, because I can’t find them anywhere.” Franky huffed as she tried one last time to reach under the seat and only came back with the sticky remains of a sucker.  
  
“Here, you get the stroller ready, and I’ll look for her shoes,” Bridget traded positions with her wife and navigated her petite form into the backseat. Franky had done several trial runs with the stroller after they’d picked it out at the store. They’d paid to have someone in the store assemble it after the booster seat disaster. She was now an expert at kicking the device open and smoothly latching it in place. They’d opted for a convertible model that had a normal seat as well as a separate place for Tess to stand up when she wanted. Once she had done a test run and checked the wheels, she turned to her sister who was still sucking away on her toy as she sat in the back hatch of the car. Franky carefully picked her up only to be met with another high pitched scream and a tiny hand slapping her face.  
  
“Shit,” she murmured as she pulled away, holding the now tender skin of her cheek. Tess kicked her way back as far as she could into the trunk away from her. “Any luck with those shoes?” _Please Gidge, hurry up before I get bitch slapped by a five year old again._ If the women at Wentworth could only see her now.  
  
“You’re right. She’s a magician.” Bridget finally admitted defeat as she closed the car door. “She can just go in her socks.” She came around to see the stroller prepped and Franky holding her red cheek. Bridget stood on her toes to kiss her wife when her eyes landed on the little red handprint on her cheek. “Did she…” Bridget didn’t have to finish her question before Franky nodded. Bridget turned towards the trunk where Tess had stepped out from hiding and held her arms up. “Tess, did you hit Franky?” Tess ignored the question completely and jumped to try to get into her arms, only to be held back by the blonde. The little girl grunted her disapproval and tried harder.  
  
“No, it’s fine.” Franky tried to interject, unable to watch as her sister struggled.  
  
“No, Franky. It’s not okay. Tess, you cannot hit. Can you say you’re sorry to Franky?” Bridget asked calmly.  
  
“Up-pease,” Tess tried to wrap her arms around the blonde’s neck.  
  
“Gidge, let it go-” Franky tried again as she looked around and noticed other families starting to glance at them.  
  
“Say, I’m sorry Franky,” Bridget prompted once more, taking time to enunciate the words.  
  
“I sowwy!” The tiny girl finally spoke as tears pooled in her green eyes. Bridget immediately scooped her up in her arms and rocked her.  
  
“That was so good, baby,” Bridget praised as she calmed the girl down.  
  
Franky hoped to god above that the beginning to their adventure wasn’t a bad omen.

They’d made it through all of two exhibits before Tess had her first melt down. She had been fascinated by the big cat exhibit and tried to climb the rocks to get a better view. When Bridget held her back, she began to scream. They quickly rushed to calm her. In the middle of the exchange she touched her stomach, signaling that she was hungry. Franky quickly found one of the pedialytes in the small cooler and put it in one of the bottles she’d packed. Tess still refused to drink anything unless it came in a bottle. Still worrying about bringing her weight up out of the danger zone, they continued to use them. She settled back into Bridget’s arms as she drank and her body relaxed.  
  
“Isn't she a bit old for a bottle?” One middle aged woman asked another as they passed. Franky immediately turned and burned daggers at them through her eyes.  
  
“And who the fuck are you? Mother Teresa? Mind your own business, would ya?” She barked towards her. Embarrassed to have been heard, the woman turned red and quickly entered the exhibit.  
  
“Franky,” Bridget’s voice brought her back to reality.  
  
“I’m sorry,” she cringed, waiting for the serve that was to come. She’d worked so bloody hard to control her temper and her foul mouth, but occasionally instinct just took over and she couldn’t stop herself.  
  
“Why? They should mind their business.” Bridget gave her a quick wink. Tess’ hand had migrated to Bridget’s cheek as she continued to suck away on her bottle quickly.  
  
“Careful, she drank that pretty fast, don’t want her to-” Before Franky could even finish her thought, Tess puked all down the front of her shirt. Sighing, she turned back towards the bag to grab the spare.

Meltdown number two happened when she jumped at the monkeys beating the glass of the display too close for Tess’ comfort. She wet herself, and her full bladder caused her to leak through her pants. Bridget picked her up to head towards the restrooms, but before she left Franky gathered the necessary items from the pack.  
  
“Where are the wipes?” Bridget asked before she left for the bathroom.  
  
“What?”  
  
“The baby wipes?” The blonde checked her hands again.  
  
“Fuck,” She dug through the bag as Tess wailed.  
  
“Here ladies, what are you missing?” A mother pushing a double stroller started towards them.  
“Wipes, I swear I put them back in here.” Franky continued to look feverishly through the millions of other things. She’d began to pull out toy after toy to hasten her search.  
  
“Here, I’ve got a spare pack.” The mum reached into her own diaper bag to retrieve them. Bridget held her hand out and towards her while she continued to bounce Tess.  
  
“Thank you so much,” Bridget smiled.  
  
“Yeah, thanks,” Franky mumbled with red cheeks.  
  
“Hey, us mums have to stick together.” Supermum smiled before continuing on her merry way with her perfectly behaved angels in tow.  
  
Franky waited on a bench outside the restroom for Bridget and Tess with her head leaned back against the wall. She watched as the other families passed by. All the mothers seemed so put together and well equipped to deal with dirty nappies and crying children. Franky had never felt so out of place in her life.  
  
“Good as new, right Tess?” Bridget smiled with the girl perched on her hip. “Where to next?”  
  
“Up to you,” Franky handed the map to her wife.  
  
“What’s wrong, Baby?” Bridget asked as she noted the slight frown on Franky’s face. Next came her telltale shrug which was countered with a cocked eyebrow.  
  
“I’m shit at this,” Franky finally sighed, knowing that she’d be unable to escape Bridget. “I forgot the wipes,” her eyes fell to the worn carpet beneath them. The blonde set Tess down into the back of the stroller where she stood and took in the large plaster sting rays above them. Bridget came and wrapped her arms around Franky.  
  
“You’re doing just fine. Do you know how many mothers have forgotten nappies and wipes? We’re learning and it’s going to take practice, alright?” The petite woman swayed back and forth to calm her wife’s nerves. Franky nodded and cupped Bridget’s cheeks and pressed their foreheads together.  
  
“More!” Tess bounced from her spot as she pointed up to the stingrays above. “More!” she said again.  
  
“Aquarium, it is,” Franky smiled as they turned in the direction of the next exhibit.

The moment that they’d entered the aquarium, Tess’ demeanor had changed completely. She held onto the stroller while her eyes danced over every display with total awe as her mouth hung open. She watched as schools of fish danced through the water with ease right in front of her eyes. Her delighted squeal pierced the air as she caught sight of the bright pink jellyfish. The family proceeded slowly through each different room, taking care to give the little one enough time see everything. Before they entered into the next portion of the aquarium, a worker stopped them.  
  
“Just so you know, the next portion can be a bit scary for children. It’s under a water tunnel, so it can be a little crowded too. We ask that you leave strollers out here as you walk through, and then pick them back up when you’re finished.” They parked the stroller and Bridget pulled Tess into her arms as they entered through the sliding doors.  
  
Instantly they were painted in a shimmery glow from the water on all sides of them. All around them stingrays and turtles glided smoothly in the water. Tess’s eyes were wide with excitement as she continued to take it all in. Without warning, a large shark swum over their heads and she laughed joyfully deep from her belly. Other mothers were holding tightly onto whimpering children, and there was Tess reaching to go closer to the dangerous creatures. Franky shook her head as she laughed through her nose. The little girl then showed Bridget and Franky the shark in her hands, making the connection between the creatures passing above and her beloved toy.  
  
“That’s right, Tess. That’s a shark.” Bridget praised her as she tried her best to hold the girl up to get a closer view. Tess reached up higher too, but was unable to get as close as she wanted due to Bridget’s petite height. Then without warning, Tess reached her arms towards Franky.  
  
“Up-pease,” her tiny voice broke the air. Franky stood in shock, unable to process what to do next. Had she really? “Up-pease!” Tess tried again struggling to get to her. Carefully, Franky took the girl in her arms and watched as a smile washed over her face and she was able to see the creatures from a closer view. Each time a new, bigger shark swam over them, she bounced in Franky’s arms. Taking a chance, Franky reached her as high as her arms would allow and Tess pressed her hands to the glass above. Just as a shark with large jagged teeth passed over, she squealed with glee. She looked down and bared her teeth to Franky just like the terrifying creature overhead. In the background, Bridget fumbled with her phone to take a picture. She gave the Doyle girls space to enjoy the moment together.  
  
“If you’d like, I can get one of the three of you?” A passerby offered the little family. Franky wrapped an arm around her wife’s shoulders just as Bridget wrapped hers around her middle. They both smiled towards the camera.  
  
“Little one, look here!” the amateur photographer tried to get the little girl to look, but they knew there was no way in hell Tess was going to take her eyes away from the sharks above her.  
  
“No worries, it’s fine. She’s perfect,” Franky said as she held her sister in her arms.  
  
They’d been unable to get Tess out of the room until she’d fallen asleep in Franky’s arms as the sharks continued gliding above her. On their way out, they passed through the gift shop where Franky snagged a large stuffed shark with three rows of ‘sharp’ teeth. Bridget didn’t even say a word about the price-tag as they exited. She was much too busy staring at her girls.


	4. Chapter 4

Franky’s high was short lived when things returned back to normal. She had been pulling long hours at work. What she’d told Bridget was an influx of cases, was actually Franky’s newest pet project. She’d spoken with Imogen about her distrust for the justice system for what had happened to her sister. With her boss’ permission and support, they set to work investigating how Tess had nearly fallen through the cracks. The process was slow, but Franky was still happy to have someone on her side through it all. Imogen had trusted her implicitly from the moment she’d interviewed for the position. She’d never even told Bridget how many jobs she’d been turned down for because of her checkered past. Imogen had taken one really good look at her before spotting a genuine natural for the legal field and offered her a position with no experience. Her instincts had been right. Although she knew Franky would most likely never pursue it, Imogen vowed to fully support her if she’d ever decided to appeal her case to become a lawyer. Until then, she paid Franky as much as her limited state-run firm would allow. Other paralegals had come and went once they’d been offered to climb to the next step of the ladder, but Franky stayed stuck in place. It had never bothered her much when she took a step back and looked at how far she’d come. Anything was better than a life of barbed wire fences.  
  
By the time Franky had arrived home that evening, Tess was already dressed for bed with her shark in her arms inside the safety of Bridget’s lap.  
  
“Hey, Baby,” Bridget smiled in her direction. Tess glanced at her once before turning her sights back to her bottle and the television.  
  
“Hey ladies. Sorry I’m so late, Imogen needed me.”  
  
“No worries. She’s just about ready to lay down.” Bridget’s fingertips brushed over Tess’ cheeks as her eyes tried to stay open. “There’s dinner,” she whispered. Franky quietly ditched her boots and jacket. She padded towards the kitchen to see Bridget’s gourmet meal of mac and cheese with bacon sprinkled on top. It had become Tess’ new favorite food and she even began asking for it by name. Albeit poorly pronounced. The other food she’d learned to ask for were biscuits. Neither Bridget or Franky could resist when she blinked up to them and muttered the word ‘bicky?’ with such a sweet smile on her face. She’d dished herself a bowl and warmed it in the microwave before cracking a beer.  
  
“Can you help us to bed? Bridget asked, needing a transporter of Tess’ new village of stuffed animals. Now in her daily routine were her standard old teddy and shark along with her new jagged toothed companion. The brunette scooped them all up in her arms and followed the petite blonde down the hall where she laid the child in her bed. Franky tucked the toys around her on both sides.  
  
“Foot rub in the bed?” Bridget offered.  
  
“Only if I can eat dinner while you do it,” Franky countered with a cocked eyebrow.  
  
“I figured that went without saying,” she fired back.  
  
“I don’t know what I’ve ever done to deserve you,” Franky sighed with admiration.  
  
“Well you do support my housewife life and terrible dinners.” Bridget’s arms wrapped around her wife’s neck as she gently swayed.  
  
“Good point.” Most nights was some boxed creation that Bridget had pulled from the pantry, but Franky never complained. Boxed mac and cheese from her wife was much better than a trayful of beans and hotdogs in prison.  
  
“You get comfy, I’ll bring dinner and your beer,” Bridget instructed before kissing her quickly and disappearing down the hall.  
  
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Franky hurried towards the bedroom and changed into her pajamas of choice: a singlet and boxer briefs. With her freedom from prison, came her inhibitions to dress in less. She wasn’t afraid of anyone anymore.  
  
“Here, love,” Bridget came in to give her a beer and beverage before setting to work on Franky’s sore feet. “How was work?” She pressed down on the middle of Franky’s feet with her thumbs and ran them up causing the brunette to groan.  
  
“Fuck that feels good. And work was work. Any breakthroughs today?” She didn’t feel the need to divulge all of the heart-wrenching details of her day. She much preferred their time spent together on happier things.  
  
“Her therapist did bring crayons and she seems to like drawing. It should help with her motor skills. We also had the bottle talk.”  
  
“Uh oh.” Franky knew that the weaning talk would have to come sooner or later.  
  
“I know. She recommended sippy cups during the day and only doing a bottle at night for a while before stopping completely,” Bridget explained. Franky couldn’t help but smile.  
  
“You know, our pillow talk used to be so much different.” Franky laughed.  
  
“Are you upset about it?” The blonde glanced up to her wife from her position at the food of the bed.  
  
“No, are you?” Franky shook her head honestly. She’d grown to enjoy domestic life.  
  
“Not at all.” Bridget stopped herself before saying how much she actually loved it.  
  
“I’m fully convinced you could read me the phone book and I would still want to bed you,” Franky teased before she bit her tongue between her lips playfully.  
  
“Aren’t you a charmer,” she giggled.  
  
“That’s why you love me. Speaking of…” Franky had been itching for a way to bring up the topic of sex. She’d missed her wife not only emotionally, but physically as well.  
  
“Hm…?” Bridget paused her massage.  
  
“It’s been awhile…” Franky paused mid sentence.  
  
“It has indeed.”  
  
“Do you what to?”  
  
“Not if you’re tired.”  
  
“I’m never too tired to see you naked.” Without any further need for instruction, Franky ditched the bowl on the nightstand and pulled Bridget up into her arms. Her wife was dressed simply in a cotton slip with thin straps to show off her freckled chest. Franky began to place kisses over every bit she could get her lips on before flipping her onto her back. As she shifted, something poked the sensitive skin of her side.  
  
“Ouch,” she muttered pulling the intruder out from under her. It was one of Tess’ toys that Franky quickly dropped off the side of the bed. Bridget used her hands to pull Franky’s lips to hers in a slow, burning kiss. Before too long, Franky’s hands dipped under her dress as if a magnet was pulling her to do so.  
  
“Please…” Bridget whispered and it was all Franky needed to proceed.  
  
No matter how many times they’d been together over the years, Franky would never get used to her. She’d never felt such a connection with any of her former flames like she did with Bridget. They flowed together like water. The feeling was mutual. Before too long, Bridget breathing hitched in her throat and she pulled her wife’s shirt over her head and unclasped her bra. Bridget pulled her tighter on top of her, desperate to feel Franky’s skin against hers. The brunette had lost all shame for the scars on her skin, her wife had soothed them away long ago with gentle caresses and endless compassion.  
  
“I love you,” Franky breathed against her lips.  
  
“I love you,” Bridget whispered back.  
  
“NO!” the scream woke them both from their love making. Franky felt tiny fists pounding against her back and head.  
  
“Jesus!” Franky yelled as the girl wailed on her. She pulled the sheet up to cover her bare chest.  
  
“Tess!” Bridget gasped as she pulled her slip back down to cover herself she rapidly picked the girl up and carried her from the room. Franky was left alone again.  
  
Bridget returned a half hour later with exhaustion painted over her features.  
  
“She’s back in bed.” She said as she slipped under the bedsheets. The two laid on their backs, staring up to the ceiling.  
  
“Well that was fucking awkward,” Franky broke the air. Bridget covered her face as she dissolved into a fit of giggles. “It’s not funny! We’ve probably scarred her for life!” Franky whined feeling utterly mortified.  
  
“Oh, please. What child hasn’t walked in on their parents having sex before?” Psychologist Bridget couldn’t even count how many worried parents had confessed the event in the safety of her office. She also couldn’t count how many reassuring words she’d given them that it was natural and the children wouldn’t be scarred for life.  
  
“Is that really a thing?” Franky had no frame of reference to pull from on the matter considering the last thing her parents were doing was making love.  
  
“Of course it’s a thing! I saw my parents one time.”  
  
“Annnnd there goes my hardon,” Franky teased as she sat up and pulled on her shirt.  
  
“I’m sorry, Baby. Maybe this weekend we can try again?”  
  
“I’m working Saturday, and Dad’s coming over on Sunday to meet Tess.” Franky tried to hide her disappointment. Were they going to need to start scheduling their encounters? She shuddered at the thought of having a dedicated night to get busy. That was some Brady Bunch bullshit that she did not want to be a part of. She loved the spontaneity that they possessed, but surprise sex on the kitchen table was now out of the question when there was a child hiding underneath it.  
  
“That’s right. And another Saturday? Sometimes I think you and Imogen are the only two working there.”  
  
“With the new paralegal it almost feels like it. I’ve started called her Lala.”  
  
“Lala?”  
  
“Because I’m pretty sure that’s all that’s going on in her head. She’s a fetus. I swear, when I talk to her it’s like the lights are on but no ones home.” Franky groaned, thinking about the, no doubt, long day she had to look forward to tomorrow.  
  
“New grad?”  
  
“Yes. She’s like a bobble head.” Franky mirrored her incessant nodding. Bridget laughed at the act.  
  
“Explains why you’re working Saturday again.” Sure, Franky thought. It’s totally not because I want to look at records without Imogen breathing down my back.  
  
“Are you mad?” She whispered.  
  
“No. Tess has been asking to see the sharks again. I was thinking of taking her back, but not if you can’t come with us.” Bridget wasn’t mad, but she was let down. She feared that without more exposure to her sister, Tess would never be able to cross the bridge into acceptance. She couldn’t picture a life of trying to balance two Doyles in her life.  
  
“You don’t have to do that.” She didn’t have to, but Franky knew she would. It hadn’t even taken two full days before Franky had gotten copies of their first family picture to be displayed in their living room and a smaller one for her office. That moment alone kept her going after being bitten, scratched, and shoved.  
  
“Don’t be ridiculous. She’ll get frustrated that I can’t lift her as high as she wants to go.” And Bridget was not wearing heels to the aquarium.  
  
“Ah, yes. She does take advantage of my height when there are sharks involved, doesn’t she?” It was one of the two things that Franky could provide to her: food and height.  
  
“Should we be concerned that she falls asleep to Jaws?” Bridget yawned as she cuddled into her wife closer. Franky let her arm wrap around the blonde as their exhaustion settled over the.  
  
“Must explain why she likes to bite me so much.” Franky held out her hand where a another defined half-circle bruise had formed. She’d gotten better about pulling her hand away when she saw those little sharp teeth coming, but Tess was fast.  
  
“We really need to work on that.” Bridget said slowly, her eyes closing until her long lashes were resting comfortably on the tops of her cheeks.  
  


Franky awoke at around three and tossed and turned for fifteen minutes before she finally pulled herself out of bed. As she blinked the sleep from her eyes, she noticed the soft glow that drifted down the hallway leading into the living room. Standing at the threshold, she found Tess with her stuffed animals piled around her as she sucked her thumb and stared at the television in front of her. She noticed Franky entering, but her tired body didn’t budge from its spot.  
  
“What are you doing awake, bub?” Franky whispered to the little girl. “Can’t sleep?” Tess blinked in response and turned her sights back on the TV. The older sister sighed and shuffled towards the kitchen and opened the fridge. She found the remains of the mac and cheese and quickly tossed the container into the microwave. Tess stealthily tiptoed in to investigate further. “Hungry?” The little girl nodded and touched her stomach. Franky turned back towards the fridge and scanned the contents. She held out a yogurt container her sister who shook her head. She tried an applesauce only to be met with another head shake.  
  
“Bickies?” her tiny voice asked. Franky smiled and fumbled with the child lock on the pantry. She pulled two cookies out of their container and handed one over to Tess and ate one herself. She watched as Tess bounced down the hallway, holding her shark by the tail so it trailed after her. Curious, Franky followed a few paces behind. She peeked into the girl’s room only to see her lifting the corner of her fitted bed sheet and storing the cookie inside.  
  
“What are you doing, kiddo?” Franky’s eyebrows creased as she entered the room. Tess turned around and knew she had been caught red handed. Franky saw as three other cookies fell out of her hiding place. She chuckled hysterically as the little girl picked all of them up and tried to put them back. “Sweetie, you don’t have to hide biscuits in your bed. Why don’t we find somewhere else?” Tess took a second to ponder the idea, and then she retrieved the stash of six cookies from the corner of the sheet. “Boomer would be so proud of you,” Franky laughed. She made a mental note to call her mate and tell her the story. When they returned to the kitchen, Franky fetched the unused cookie jar from the countertop. It was shaped like a t-rex. Franky had seen it at the store and been unable to resist knowing Tess would absolutely love the thing. She opened the lid and Tess placed her biscuits inside. “How’s that? No ninja climbing onto the counter though, promise?”  
  
“Pomise,” she nodded and shuffled back to her spot in front of the tv. Franky retrieved her now warm bowl from the microwave and sat down on the couch. As soon as the little girl caught the scent of the food, she was crawling beside Franky in no time. Sighing, Franky began alternate bites between herself and her sister. She made sure to carefully so as not to drop any bits of macaroni onto the sofa.  
  
“No telling Gidget I let you eat on the sofa, alright?” Franky whispered as she presented Tess with another forkful that she graciously leaned in and accepted.  
  
“No Gidge,” the girl promised through a mouthful of noodles. When the two had finally depleted the bowl of noodles, Tess lay her head against the armrest at the opposite end of the cushion and closed her eyes. Although it was a far stretch from the cuddles that her wife received, Franky still counted it as a win. She pulled her legs upwards towards her chest to give the little girl enough space to stretch out. The two were back asleep in no time.  
  
When Franky woke again it was with an hour left before her alarm. She lifted her head and quickly regretted it when feeling the crick that had developed from her odd sleeping angle. She sat up to see that Tess had disappeared yet again. Figuring the little girl had wandered back to her room, Franky did the same and padded down the hall with her eyes half closed. She slid into bed from her side to the comfort of her own pillow. Just as she went to wrap her arm around Bridget’s waist, she was met with a tiny foot to the face.  
  
“NO!” Tess screamed at the top of her lungs. Franky felt the iron taste of blood in her mouth. She quickly put her hand over her split lip to stop the blood from getting on the sheets.  
  
“Jesus Christ!” She swore in shock. Immediately Bridget’s blonde head shot up as Tess attached herself to her like a second skin. Even in the darkness, Franky could see her green eyes squeezed tightly shut. “Shit, Tess. I’m not angry, you just scared me is all,” she tried to explain, only to be met with a warning yell and sharp teeth.  
  
“What happened?” Bridget’s voice rasped out as she caressed Tess’ shaking back. The little girl tried to burrow further into her body, trying to disappear entirely. Franky felt her eyes and nose sting with tears, and not just because she’d gotten socked in the mouth.  
  
“It’s nothing. I’ll go.” She clutched her lip and scurried out of the bed. “I’m sorry,” she tried once more to the little girl.  
  
“No!” Tess shouted after Franky as she left her own bedroom to lick her wounds.

She was unable to get back to sleep after the incident, so instead she tended to her lip and tried her best to not beat herself up, but it seemed pointless at that point. It seemed anytime she made any sort of progress with Tess, something would happen that sent them right back to square one. But if there was one thing Franky Doyle had, it was hope. Part of her knew that gaining Tess’ trust was in some ways what her wife had to do not so long ago. Franky had never let anyone in, let alone trusted anyone. She never even fully let the girls of H2 in. She preferred to keep her distance, parading around the illusion of trust with witty teasing and smiles, but deep down she never let them see the real Franky that lay just below the surface; the scared little girl still locked in her room and waiting for her dad to come rescue her.  
  
Slowly she tiptoed back into the bedroom to ready for the day, seeing Tess laying firmly on top of Bridget like a blanket. The two were breathing in unison as they slept on. She smiled softly at the sight. Bridget was such a natural mother. It didn’t surprise Franky knowing what a nurturing soul her wife was. The woman saved spiders for Christ’s sake. She’d adapted to the role so quickly. Franky tried her best not to be jealous. She reminded herself how much Tess’ needed someone like Bridget, how much it was helping her. So she continued to shove the envy deep down inside her and pretend it wasn’t there.  
  
She retreated into the shower and readied for the day. Knowing that the rest of the office would be gone, she didn’t feel the need to dress the part. Instead she slid into a pair of dark jeans and a soft green sweater. Just as she was tugging her socks on, her wife’s groggy voice broke her from her thoughts.  
  
“Franky? Are you okay?” She asked as she blinked the sleep from her eyes.  
  
“Yeah, all good.” Franky turned and did her best to smile, although any slight movement only caused her lip to split more. Truth be told, it fucking hurt like hell, but she would never admit it.  
  
“Oh, baby. That looks bad, are you sure you don’t need stitches?” She gasped. She shuffled out from underneath Tess and got out of bed to get a closer look. “Baby.” She gasped as she cupped Franky’s cheek.  
  
“It’s fine, it was my fault. I didn’t know she’d gotten in bed with you. I scared her.” Franky was good at brushing injuries off after a lifetime of practice. Thanks mum, she thought sarcastically.  
  
“Where had you gone?” Bridget did her best to connect the pieces, having only been awake a short time.  
  
“I couldn’t sleep, so I went to lay out on the couch where I found yours truly watching Animal Planet again.” Bridget sighed. Short of locking the girl in her room, which they would never do, it was near impossible to get Tess to stay in bed through the night. Some mornings they woke to find the girl on the floor painted in the light of the TV. “Side note, she needs to eat bickies in the kitchen. I’ll explain more later. I gotta go or Imogen’s going to wonder where I am.”  
  
“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the doctor?” The blonde tried once more.  
  
“Defs. Besides, it gives me a bit of my street cred back.” Franky winked and kissed her wife on the good side of her mouth. “There’s muffin batter in the fridge when you’re ready for them.” She pat Bridget’s bum before turning to leave.  
  
“I love you. Try not to be too late today?”  
  
“I’ll do my best. Love you,” she called over her shoulder. 

Franky made it into Legal Relief and used her set of keys to unlock the door. Imogen had gifted them to her on her one year anniversary at the firm. Although it was just a set of keys, Franky understood the deeper meaning behind them. The gift meant that Imogen trusted her even with her less than perfect past. She saw Franky’s track record as a positive unlike the rest of the world. She only hoped that Imogen would still think that if she found out what Franky had been up to.  
  
Silently she unarmed the alarm and slipped into her office to do some more digging. So far her search for information about Tess hadn’t turned up anything out of the ordinary. Aside from her birth certificate, that was about all the world knew of Tess Doyle. Even the neighbors claimed they had no idea that there had even been a child in the home. They’d never seen her outside or in the windows. It was as if she didn’t exist at all.  
  
Information about her mother had been much easier to find once she’d finally mustered the courage to do so. Her mother had a track record longer than some of the girls inside Wentworth. It was honestly a wonder that she’d never done hard time herself. There were numerous drug and disorderly conduct charges before Franky’s birth. Things seemed to calm down after for a while until she stumbled upon several domestic disputes. Judging by the dates, Franky was anywhere from three to nine years old. She couldn’t remember most of them except the last, when her mother had cut her father’s palm open with a steak knife. They’d played it off, and Franky had done the same. It was the first time she’d been forced to lie in order to save face. A few more scrolls on the screen and Franky was met face to face with her former self. She’d never actually seen the hospital intake photos from when she’d finally been removed from her mother’s care, and that was probably for the best because even after all these years, it was still heartbreaking. She swallowed hard at the lump that had mysteriously developed in her throat when she saw the haze of hopelessness in her eyes. They were red from crying the entire way to the hospital. She’d been so scared after being dragged out of the only home she’d ever known that she’d wet herself in the back of the cop car. Her skin resembled that of an impressionist painting the way the colors of her bruises blended together. Unable to look any longer, she printed the photos of herself and her sister.  
  
After digging a little deeper, she discovered that Social Services had been keeping an eye on her after all. Her residence had been registered, and all visits had been logged into the system all by the same man, a Jeremy Hanson, and on each occasion, Maria Doyle was reported as “a very fit mother”. Franky scoffed and shook her head after reading the words. She then set to researching the so-called social worker until she located his information, and scribbled it down on a post-it before deleting her search history. She sat with her phone in hand for a full ten minutes before finally plucking up enough courage to dial.  
  
“Social Services, Jeremy Hanson speaking.” The man who answered sounded tired.  
  
“Hey, Jeremy. I’m hoping you can help me out. I’ve got a few questions about the way things work. I’m new to all of this,” she lied. Franky was no new hand to the system, she was a seasoned veteran.  
  
“Sure, how can I help?”  
  
“Would you be able to meet in person?” She left out the bit about meeting so she could smash his face in.  
  
“Uh, I’m a bit busy this week, but perhaps we can schedule an appointment for later in the month?” Nice try, Jer.  
  
“What about right now? I can meet you wherever. I’m just desperate for your help.” Lying was easy when her sister was at stake.  
  
“I’m near the Coffee Exchange.” Franky already knew where he was.  
  
“That’s perfect, I can be there in twenty. Thank you so much Mr. Hanson, I really appreciate it.”  
  
“See you soon…” He searched his short-term memory for a name.  
  
“Francesca.” She wasn’t sure why her birth name came out, but it did.  
  
“See you soon, Francesca.” Franky gathered up her things and made sure to set the alarm before locking up. 

Franky had been waiting anxiously for close to a half hour for the social worker to walk in. She’d selected a booth with a view of the door so she could make sure she spotted him the moment he walked in. In the meantime, she stewed silently with her satchel beside her on the bench. She hadn’t even touched her cup of coffee. Finally she heard the door open and saw the man in question walk in. His eyes searched over the small cafe until she stood and gave him a small wave and a smile, luring her prey in with charm.  
  
“Francesca?” She nodded and he came to sit across from her.  
  
“Mr. Hanson, I can’t thank you enough for coming. Can I get you something? Coffee?”  
  
“I’m fine, thanks. And please, call me Jeremy. How can I help, Francesca? You didn’t say on the phone.”  
  
“Yeah, um. I’m afraid that my little sister’s going to get taken into custody. It’s my mum…” Franky began to tell her story and watched as Jeremy’s face sank further and further into despair.  
  
“It sounds like there are grounds for immediate removal of the child. I’m sure the social worker assigned to the case is aware of this,”  
  
“That’s the thing. You were the one assigned to her case.” Franky retrieved the file from her bag and began to lay out picture after picture of Tess’ hospital pictures and pictures of the home.  
  
“I’m sorry?” His eyes flickered down to the table before diverting their focus away.  
  
“Maria Doyle was one of your cases. My sister, Tess Doyle? Does this look like the work of a ‘very fit mother’?” Franky picked up the photo of Tess’ emaciated form and held it in his face.  
  
“Look, I don’t know what you want from me. I’ve got over sixty cases on my plate.” He leaned back away from the table.  
  
“I want you to look at what your sheer ineptitude did to my sister. You are lucky that she’s not dead. You know the charges for failing to report abuse as a mandatory reporter? You’d lose your license and serve time. You’re lucky she didn’t die or you’d go down as an accessory to murder. People like you don’t fair well in prison, Mr. Hanson.” The man moved to get up from the booth before Franky grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. “I won’t report you, but just know that I will be keeping an eye on you to make sure no one else ends up like her. Got it?” He nodded immediately with fear painted in his eyes. Franky shoved him back. “Now get the fuck out of here.”  
  
He retreated towards the door just as quickly as he had came. Franky sat back down with her heartbeat pulsing in her ears. She pushed the devastating pictures back into the folder and then tucked them away in her bag. She calmed her nerves by sipping her now cooled coffee. In another life, she’d have killed that man who caused her sister so much pain. In another life, she would have made him pay for what he had done. But she was not the same person she used to be. She knew that justice would be served in the fact that she’d prevented more children from experiencing what she and her sister had. At least the violence would stop. 

She returned home some time later to absolute chaos. Bridget was consoling a screaming Tess from the kitchen where the brand new bickie jar was in pieces on the floor. Franky quickly ditched her bag and rushed towards them. From the closer position, she saw Bridget holding a washcloth to a cut on Tess’ arm.  
  
“What happened?”  
  
“Did you put this on the counter?”  
  
“Yeah,” she confessed.  
  
“Franky! What were you thinking? You might as well have dangled the biscuits right in front of her!” She stated exasperated by the events taking place. Franky had never been on the receiving end of Bridget’s upset before. It was making her chest hurt.  
  
“I’m sorry. I thought it was cute, so I-”  
  
“Can you just clean this up while I take care of her? Please?” Bridget tiptoed over the glass shards and rushed down the hall with a crying Tess in her arms. Franky stood in shock as she looked at the disaster on the floor. She clenched her hands into fists as tried her best to pull in air and stay calm. She moved towards the closet and picked up the broom that had gotten quite a work out in the last two months. Silently she brushed the shattered cookie jar into the pan and took the remnants outside and dumped them in the bin. Her mind was racing rapidly as she tried to remain calm, but she was failing miserably. Once she returned inside, she went to dress for a run.  
  
“Baby?” Bridget cracked the door to the bathroom.  
  
“I’m changing,” Franky warned as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Since when did she warn her wife that she was dressing?  
  
“Franky, I’m sorry I snapped at you. It was a really sweet gesture, and I apologize that I made it seem like it was otherwise.” Bridget felt awful for how she’d reacted. She knew under the tough girl exterior, Franky was sensitive and without a proper talk through it, she’d carry it on her shoulders.  
  
“It’s fine. You were right. It was a stupid idea. I should have put it up. I should have known she’d try to get into it.” She fetched her trainers from the closet and sat at the foot of the bed to lace them up.  
  
“Baby-”  
  
“I’m gonna go for a run,” Franky interjected. She stood and stretched her legs.  
  
“Can you wait? Can we talk about this first?” Bridget took a step closer.  
  
“There’s nothing to talk about. I fucked up and Tess got hurt. It won’t happen again.” She grabbed her headphones from the dresser and moved to put them on, effectively shutting Bridget out.  
  
“Look at me,” Bridget’s hands were over hers, stopping her from ending the conversation. “I am so sorry. Thank you for cleaning it up, especially after working all day.” It was then she noticed the tinge of darkness that had gathered under Franky’s eyes. She looked so tired. Maybe her gruesome schedule was wearing on her. Bridget decided to tuck that information away until later that evening when they could unpack the truth of what was going on.  
  
“It’s fine. I won’t be long, just around the block,” she pecked Bridget’s forehead and slipped out the door as she placed her headphones over her ears. She was out of the front door in no time. Everyone has shit days, Franky reminded herself.  
  
Bridget had been kicking herself since Franky had exited stage right as quickly as possible. She felt terrible. She knew that Franky hated to be berated and she had essentially done just that. She also knew that her wife would take any comment to heart, no matter how many times she apologized. Tess sat beside her on the couch, freshly bandaged and happy again as munched away on a bicky. She’d given up on the no food on the couch rule.  
  
“How are we going to fix this, Tess?” With her eyes still fixed on the television, she shrugged. Bridget sighed and sunk back into the couch.  
  
  
Franky returned an hour later panting and covered in a a layer of sweet that dripped down her chest. Dusk had already fallen over the quiet little neighborhood. Bridget was planted in front of the stove, stirring a large saucepan as Tess sat atop the kitchen island with a wooden spoon in her hand. She was mimicking Bridget’s motions with her own little pot. Even just by the smell permeating the room, she knew Bridget was making her red sauce.  
  
“How was your run?” Bridget called over her shoulder.  
  
“Yeah, good,” she nodded kicking her trainers off at the door and stretching back out so her muscles wouldn’t get sore.  
  
“Can you tell what we’re cooking?”  
  
“Smells like my sauce.”  
  
“Mhm, want to give us a taste test? See how we did?” Bridget smiled softly. Franky approached. She could already tell by smell that Bridget had forgotten to add the oregano, but she waited to taste before her critique. Bridget held out the spoon to her and Franky took a small taste and glanced towards Tess.  
  
“Mmm, Tess! You made this?” Franky asked and received a big nod from the little girl as she continued to stir her fake sauce. “You pressed the garlic?” She nodded again. “And sliced the tomatoes?” Again, another nod. “And chopped the oregano?”  
  
“Oh shoot!” Bridget muttered under her breath as she dashed towards the fridge to fetch the forgotten ingredient. She began chopping it hastily to add to the sauce. Franky cringed at her method.  
  
“Wait. Please let me.” She touched the small of Bridget’s back and held her hand out for the knife. She quickly relinquished the control and stepped out of the way. That’s when Franky noticed she was using a steak knife. She set it in the sink and fetched the proper blade. “Oh, Spunky. You are good at so many things.” Franky smiled and wondered how on earth her wife had managed to feed herself for so long. She then remembered how the freezer had been filled with frozen dinners when she’d first arrived.  
  
“What was I doing wrong?” Bridget’s brow creased with confusion.  
  
“You were murdering it.” Franky replied honestly before adding the freshly chopped herb into the sauce and giving it a gentle stir.  
  
“Franky look,” Bridget whispered. From over her shoulder, she saw Tess pick some of the fallen oregano flecks off the chopping board and added them into her pot. Franky gave the sauce another taste and turned back to grab another clove of garlic. She grabbed another knife and pressed it free before chopping it finely. She then held the cutting board to Tess.  
  
“Just a pinch,” she instructed the girl before doing the same to the sauce. Tess popped the garlic in and continued to stir. She then brought the spoon to her mouth and mimed tasting it.  
  
“Mmm!” She exclaimed and held out the spoon to both Bridget and Franky. They took turns tasting Tess’ imaginary sauce and gushing over how good it was. They dissolved into a fit of laughter as the little girl dumped the remains of the garlic and oregano into her pot.  
  
After dinner and bathtime, Tess had finally drifted off to sleep in Bridget’s arms as Franky sat on the other side of the couch, with her arm propping up her head.  
  
“Tough day?” Bridget asked quietly. Lost in her thoughts, her wife did not hear the question and instead stared blankly at the television touching the still sore spot on her lip. “Franky?” She tried again increasing her volume this time.  
  
“Hm?” The brunette was finally roused and turned to her.  
  
“Are you alright?”  
  
“Yeah, why?”  
  
“You just seem a little off today is all. I’m sorry about earlier.” Bridget approached the topic delicately. One false move and the defensive wall would be back up.  
  
“Earlier?” Had she forgotten already? Or was she really that distracted?  
  
“With the bickie jar,” Bridget reminded her.  
  
“Oh. Don’t worry about it.” Franky shrugged and turned her sights back on the screen fully prepared to ignore the giant elephant in the room.  
  
“Are you sure everything is okay?” Bridget tried to give her another out. Franky’s pride would never allow her admit she was struggling without the help of her wife.  
  
“Will you leave me alone if I say it’s not?” Franky’s eyes were down on her hands picking at her cuticles. It was then that Bridget realized Tess’ incessant moving hands was a family trait.  
  
“No,” Bridget replied honestly. She did not shy away from the uncomfortable.  
  
“Then yes, everything is okay,” Franky replied with an even tone.  
  
“So you’d rather lie than talk to me?”  
  
“Can you just stop with all the bloody questions? I’m not one of your patients, you don’t have to shrink me,” she snipped.  
“I’m trying to have a conversation with you. After two years of marriage you think you can hide when you’re upset, you’re wrong.” Bridget did her best to keep a calm tone so she didn’t disturb the snoozing child in her arms.  
“Fine. I’m upset. There, are you happy?” Franky groaned, exasperated by the conversation.  
  
“Thank you for being honest. I’m here if you want to talk about it.” Bridget stood and carried Tess’ sleeping form to her bedroom. When she returned, several minutes had passed before Franky worked up enough courage to come clean.  
  
“I’ve been looking into her case. Imogen’s been helping me,” she whispered unable to meet those blue eyes that were, no doubt, wide with shock.  
  
“That’s a conflict of interest, Franky. You of all people know that.”  
  
“I know, but I couldn’t help it. I found the social worker. He’d falsified visitation information. He’d lied and done nothing to help her.” Once the floodgates were open, Franky couldn’t stop.  
“Please tell me that’s where you stopped.” The brunette stayed silent, picking at her cuticles. “Franky, you didn’t.” Bridget groaned.  
  
“I saw him today.” She bit her lip and finally looked up to Bridget’s wide eyes.  
  
“You could get in serious trouble!” Bridget normally was able to manage her emotions like a finely tuned machine, but the possibility of losing her wife back behind the bars did nothing to calm her rage. “You could go back to jail, is that what you want?” Her cheeks burned red with anger, or fear, or maybe a combination of both.  
  
“Of course not! But I couldn’t just let him get away with it either, could I? She could have died!” Franky would stand by her actions. She needed to know the truth.  
  
“It’s not your job to be some kind of vigilante dishing out your own justice. This isn’t Wentworth and you aren’t top dog anymore!” Bridget shouted.  
  
“I don’t know what you me to say. I’m not going to apologize,” the brunette replied bluntly. Sure, she hated to be the reason for her wife’s distress, but someone had to pay for what happened to her innocent little sister.  
  
“I wish you would have told me you were doing this,” Bridget sighed. It was as close as she could get to forgiving her wife’s reckless actions.  
  
“You would have tried to talk me out of it,” Franky countered.  
  
“Do you feel better?”  
  
“I do, yeah,” she admitted with a nod of her head.  
  
“That must have been difficult to do. Did it bring up any bad memories?” Franky’s mind immediately flashed to the stack of pictures tucked in her bag; hers and her sisters. Both united in their pain and scars.  
  
“Nah, those are long gone, burned with the bitch.” Or was it buried? She never even cared enough to ask the detective what had been done with her. She wasn’t willing to burden her wife with more sob stories from her past.  
  
“Franky?”  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“I’m proud of you,” Bridget stated after a moment of silence.  
  
“I knew it. You love my bad chick side,” Franky grinned wildly.  
  
“The heart wants what the heart wants,” she admitted before melting into her wifes arms and refused to move.


	5. Chapter 5

Franky spent her thirtieth birthday running around doing damage control for Imogen all day. She’d barely managed to get twenty minutes for lunch in which she failed to reach her wife on the phone. Bridget was probably getting Tess and herself lunch. Her father did ring her and wish her a happy birthday and asked celebrate with her over the weekend. She didn’t have long to dwell on it before more files were tossed across her keyboard with less than half an hour to make it to the courthouse. She made it in time, but the work didn’t stop there. By the time she’d finally managed to file her own paperwork, it was nearing close to seven. Imogen was still chugging away when she slung her bag over her shoulder.

“I’m sorry today was such a mess, Franky. We wanted to do something for your big day, but-“

“No worries,” Franky shook her head and dismissed the comment. “Just another year.” Imogen rose from her desk to hand her a card with her name scrawled across it.

“Big plans with your girls?” Imogen smiled and Franky shrugged her shoulders as she accepted the envelope in her hands.

“With those girls? Who knows what they’ve got planned,” she teased with a smile. Imogen hugger her before she shooed her out of the office.

“Take the day tomorrow, I insist.”

“I just might.”

She arrived home to hear Bridget and Tess playing from her room down the hall. Franky shed herself of her boots and jacket at the door and walked further into the home to drop her bag on one of the kitchen chairs. On the kitchen counter she saw a take out bag from Bridget’s favorite Chinese food place, but that was it. No card, no gift, no cake. Her golden girl had clearly forgotten.  
  
She told herself that birthdays didn’t matter a long time ago when her mother made no effort to celebrate them. It used to hurt when she would see kids parties at the park with balloons and laughter. But the steal in her spine had hardened her emotions until she stopped caring. That was until she met Bridget who made such a fuss over them when she was released. She’d thrown her her first birthday party complete with a piñata full of candy since she knew she’d never had one was a child. After such extravagance, she’d expected something...anything for turning such a pivotal age. Truth be told she never thought she’d make it to thirty, so she did feel like celebrating. Against all odds she had survived. She swallowed hard around the lump developing in her throat. She opened the envelope from Imogen to see a sweet little birthday card and gift card to her favorite restaurant, Lo Sole Mio with the inscription ‘Happy 30th birthday, Franky! I am so proud of how far you have come. Have a good night with your girls!’. She tossed the card onto the island by the take out container set aside for her. How could her boss remember, but her wife could not?  
  
“Franky is that you, baby?” Bridget called from down the hall. “There’s Chinese there for you!”  
  
“Yeah, I got it.” She shouted back she picked up the container of fried rice only to see it flecked with pieces of egg when she opened it. Bridget never forgot to order her food without them, but with everything else going on it must have slipped her mind. She was forgetting so much recently, and Franky couldn’t help but feel forgotten as well. She tossed the container in the trash as she felt her stomach churn. She had to get to safety before she lost it completely. She paused briefly at Tess’ bedroom door to see the two curled up together under the little canopy tent Franky had built. The little one seemed to feel safer with a protective layer between her and the outside world. Bridget read her a story surrounded by too many stuffed animals. Not wanting to disturb the moment, she left the two girls alone and walked towards the bedroom. More and more she was feeling like a stranger in her own home.  
  
“Baby? Are you alright?” Bridget asked as she poked her head out. Franky paused for a moment at the threshold of their bedroom. She kept her eyes down and shook her head. She couldn’t bear to look into those clear blue eyes and she was afraid if she’d use her voice her emotions would betray her. “Bad day?” She nodded. Bridget stepped over and hugged her and delivered a kiss to her cheek. “Take a shower and come read with us?” She offered as they swayed.  
  
“Gidget!” Tess called from the other room. For a just a split second Franky felt a pang of jealousy hearing the girl use the little pet name that she had given her wife. She stood at the doorway with a book extended to the tiny blonde. “More, please?” She asked as she came down the hall to tug on her shirt. She used her small hands to try to wedge herself in between the two of them. Bridget immediately smiled brightly when she’d heard the tiny voice, forgetting the conversation she was having completely. Tess’ eyes landed on Franky and immediately her shoulders tensed. Six months and she still hadn’t even hugged her. Six months of the cold shoulder and hatred painted in her eyes was finally wearing her thin. Maybe she really was the monster that Tess believed her to be.  
  
“Go ahead. I’m just going to go to bed.” She muttered as she unwrapped Bridget’s arms from around her neck. Before the blonde could press further she was being dragged back down the hallway. Franky disappeared into the en suite and finally let the tears fall freely. She stripped herself of her stuffy clothes and climbed into the warm spray of the shower to finally let herself dissolve. She’d had some of the best cries of her life in the shower. The loud sound of water masked the sound of her sobs and instantly her tears were washed away by the stream. She didn’t even have the energy to scrub the day away from her body so instead she just turned the water hotter and let it soak into her skin. When the steam ran cold and she was out of tears, she finally exited. The mirror had fogged over from the heat.  
  
Franky lay in bed awake and staring as the red numbers of the alarm clock tick by. Her heart ached from its place in her chest.  
  
“Franky?” Bridget’s whisper broke the silence an hour later. When Franky didn’t respond, she came to sit down beside her. Noticing that her eyes were open but red and swollen, she continued. “I’m so sorry.” She held Imogen’s card in her hand.  
  
“It’s not a big deal, Gidge,” she lied. It was a big deal.  
  
“Yes it is. You’re upset aren't you?” She already knew the answer, but she wanted to encourage her wife to acknowledge her emotions. It was the only way that they’d get passed her massive fuck up.  
  
“If I am I’m the arsehole who’s jealous of a child,” she mumbled turning over to face the other side of the bed, effectively turning her back on her wife.  
  
“Your emotions are completely valid. I’ve been distracted lately. It’s just that she’s been making so much progress.”  
  
“Progress?”  
  
“She’s speaking so much more, today she went down without a fight or a bottle.”  
  
“If she’s making so much progress then why does she still hate me?” Bridget paused while she determined the best way to proceed. She knew that one false word could possibly send her wife spiraling down to a dark place. She was already feeling forgotten, she didn’t need to add an insensitive comment to boot.  
  
“She doesn’t hate you. She just doesn’t understand who you are yet,” she said slowly.  
  
“And who’s fault is that? Maybe if she wasn’t attached to your hip she’d actually want something to do with me.” Her words came from a place of hurt, not of real anger. Bridget had discovered long ago that Franky’s biting comments were a result of her upbringing. It was part of her elaborate way to protect herself. Her guard was most definitely up. Hopefully with a bit of love, she could break down the wall again.  
  
“Just try to remember why we did this, Baby. She came into our lives for a reason. It was our chance to break this cycle.”  
  
“I know, but you don’t see the way she looks at me like I’m a fucking monster.” Actually Bridget did see it. The looks were actually very familiar to her. She’d been on the receiving end of them for months as she began treating Franky inside Wentworth. She was also there to watch how they softened into loving glances. She prayed with time that it would happen to Tess as well.  
“A monster wouldn’t work sixty hour weeks for her family.” Franky scoffed openly at the comment. She wasn’t sure that Bridget had actually noticed how much time she was putting in. She buried herself in her work, desperate for a distraction from the events taking place at her own home. It was her way at feeling valuable. At least she was good at something, even if it wasn’t bonding with her sister.  
  
“She doesn’t care. In fact, she probably likes that I’m gone so much. Gives her more time with you.” Bridget didn’t even deny her words because she knew they were true. Tess loved being alone with her during the days. Each morning she’d wait for the front door to close behind the brunette and she’d come tiptoeing into the bedroom and crawl in next to her. She’d never tried to climb in when Franky was present. Bridget had held hope that her wife wouldn’t notice, but it was useless to deny what was so clearly true.  
  
“You just need to give her time.” She switched the subject, unwilling to open the door to more painful truths.  
  
“Time? It’s been six fucking months of this shit. She shoves me, scratches me, or she bites me if I get anywhere near her or you. The only thing she wants from me is food. Meanwhile you get fucking cuddles and story time. How the hell is this fair?” Franky’s anger was raising and there wasn’t a thing she could do to stop herself. She was like a freight train hurling itself towards the end of the tracks.  
  
“I know you’re angry, but you can’t take it out on me.” Boundaries had to be set.  
  
“I can’t do anything with you anymore,” she raised her voice. “How long as it been since we had sex?”  
  
Bridget tried to remember, but couldn’t. Their sex life had most definitely been pushed to the back burner when Tess had arrived. Bridget was exhausted from Tess, Franky was exhausted from work. It was a miracle if they could even make it through a single episode of anything before they both fell asleep, let alone make love.  
  
“It’s been four months.” Had it really been that long? Normally they’d not been able to last a full week without each other. Bridget was then able to recall the last time Franky had tried, Tess had run into the room screaming at her. They’d never even found a moment to discuss it before Bridget was dashing down the hall after her. “I don’t even think you care about it anymore.” She spat.  
  
“Franky calm down.” Bridget tried to run her open palm down the brunette’s back to comfort her, but was immediately pushed away.  
  
“Calm down? Don’t tell me to fuckin calm down. You try being in my shoes for one day, Gidge. See how you like it.”  
  
“She’s going to hear you and get upset.”  
  
“That’s all you care about, isn’t it? Fuck my feelings.”  
  
“You are an adult capable of reasoning. She is a child who has been starved and beaten within an inch of her life.”  
  
“And so was I!” She cried out. Unable to take it any longer, she got out of bed. Without a second thought she began tugging through drawers and pulling on clothes.  
  
“Where are you going?” Bridget stood up and tried to stop her  
  
“Who cares?” She scoffed as she slipped into her discarded pants.  
  
“I do!”  
  
“Then how about you show it?” Franky finally snapped before exiting the bedroom in search of her keys and shoes. Bridget followed a few paces behind.  
  
“Franky, wait.” She tried to stop her. “Please stay. We can work this out.”  
  
“I’m tired of fighting.”  
  
“Just talk to me, baby,” Bridget begged. Don’t shut me out, Franky, she thought.  
  
“You forgot my birthday. My thirtieth fucking birthday. Do you know how many times I thought I would die before I got here? But I didn’t. I’m still here and I’m still breathing and THAT is a fucking miracle. A miracle that no one else seems to give a shit about. Except my boss. My birthday dinner?” She reached into the trash and fetched the discarded food container to show Bridget her mistake. “You can’t even remember that.” She was unable to hold back her tears any longer and allowed them the freedom to flow freely down her face.  
  
“Franky, I’m sorry. You’re right, there’s no excuse. How can I make this up to you?” Bridget knew from experience that the one thing the tough ex-con craved most of all was physical comfort. The fact that she’d been pushed away moments ago only proved her point. She slipped between her and the island and wrapped her arms around Franky’s waist. “I’m so sorry.” She repeated as she breathed in her scent. It had taken a few minutes of silent tears before Franky wrapped herself up around Bridget, feeling engulfed in her warmth. The world always seemed so much clearer in her embrace. “I’m so sorry, Baby. Let’s go back to bed.”  
  
“No!” The tiny howl interrupted their hug prematurely from down the hall. Franky looked over her shoulder to see Tess running down the hall towards her with hatred in her eyes. Soon enough, her small fists began beating at her back. Her hands found their way under Franky’s shirt and she tore her sharp nails down the sensitive skin of her side.  
  
“Fuck!” Franky hissed at the pain and instantly pulled away to see the red angry trails on her flesh. The young girls body tensed at the sound of her booming voice and ran down the hall to safety.  
  
“Do you see now?” She held her shirt up to show the new injury. “I just wanna hold you.” She cried. “And I can’t.”  
  
Bridget was torn. She knew she should stay and comfort her wife who was obviously struggling right before her eyes, but she couldn’t ignore Tess’ loud sobs from down the hall.  
  
“I’m sorry, baby. I have to.” She tried to reach out for Franky’s hand to deliver a reassuring squeeze, but it was quickly pulled out of her grasp.  
  
“Go, but don’t expect me to stay here.” Without another glance back to her wife, Franky was out the front door, letting it slam behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

Franky had made a lifetime out of fleeing from her problems. Situations, friends, jobs, when the going got tough, she got going. Anything to avoid acknowledging what the actual problem was. She’d rather save face than own up to the turmoil that was brewing inside of her gut. The method had proved to work alright for years. Until a nosy cow with a perky ponytail and bright smile came and crashed over her. Bridget. Bridget was _everything_ to her. She had quite literally saved Franky from a life sentence not in prison, but inside her locked mind. She pushed Franky hard, but she knew that the results would be worth it. She spent months with the moody inmate breaking down her walls and calling her on all of her bullshit. And damn if it had been worth it to see the phoenix rising from the pile of ashes. That was the thing about fire, it could warm or consume you.  
  
Facing up to her feelings now as she drove the darkened streets of Melbourne was probably not safe. She blinked and wiped the tears from her eyes that were continuously threatening to cloud her vision. One thing she had known about herself was that once the flood gates were open, it was impossible to get them to close up again. That’s why so many times in Wentworth she waited until the dark of night to let her real emotions bubble up. When the rest of the women were already tucked in bed, she was busy crying herself to sleep.  
  
She wasn’t sure what instinct had taken over her body as she drove, but eventually she ended up and the very place where it had all begun. The floodlights bounced off the bleek concrete and barbed wire. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the sign illuminated above her. Wentworth was still her home. She’d spent more time there than in her current home that didn’t really feel like a home anymore. Franky pulled in a shaky breath and forced herself to keep repeating. Breathe in, breathe out. Eventually the tears stopped, and she was left staring at the building. She loved her life, and she never wanted to go back, but times like this she missed Liz so much it hurt. She would always know what to say in times like these, but it wasn’t as if Franky could go knock on the door and demand entrance to talk to her. Instead she looked down at her mobile to find a missed call and two text messages from her wife.

Franky, I’m so sorry. I love you, Baby.  
  
Will you please come home? We can work this out, I promise.

Franky knew that she should give her wife the peace of mind that she wasn’t dead in a ditch. But her emotions got the better of her. She hadn’t cared about Franky for months, instead putting all of her time, energy, and most importantly, love into Tess. Why did she suddenly care so much about her well being when she had been absent for months? Because she had finally snapped? She’d watched on silently as Franky had been pushed, scratched, kicked, and beaten into a shell of her former self. She pulled down the visor in front of her and flicked open the mirror. She looked like shit. Her eyes were red and swollen. The darkness under her eyes had only gotten worse since she’d been having trouble sleeping. Along her jaw she could still make out the deep scratch that Tess had left there from when she tried to pick her up off the couch where she was teetering on her tiptoes. Where had the strong, confident woman she knew gone? Before she could dwell on the question longer, her phone rang again. Bridget’s name and a picture of her sleeping with her mouth open and wild hair appeared across her screen. Normally the image would make her smile, but not tonight. Bridget had fucking hated that it was the photo she had chosen for her calls, so it just made it even more hilarious...normally. She downright ignored the call, pressing the button on the side and made the photo disappear. Seconds later, another text came through.

At least let me know where you are.

She hesitated, but then deleted them all. She pulled out of the stall and turned out of the parking lot, but not in the direction of their home.

When she’d arrived at her dad’s house, he was already waiting for her at the door. She trudged up the walkway feeling like Charlie Brown on his worst day. Before she could ask how he knew she’d be coming, he answered: “Bridget called, said you might be headed over.” _Of course she did_ , Franky thought. “I’m just going to call her back and let you know that you made it.”  
  
“Don’t,” she mumbled as she finally reached the front door. Without warning she was being pulled into his strong embrace. It had taken them a long time to work back up to hugs, but now that they had, there was little that a hug from her dad couldn’t fix...except maybe this.  
  
She’d stayed up until the wee hours of the morning with her dad. She’d never expected for her fathers home to be the place where she ran when things got hard, but after the life she’d led, nothing surprised her anymore. She told him everything that she had tried to hide, but he had already sussed out on his own; father’s intuition apparently.  
  
“I feel like a stranger in my own house. I don’t even want to be there anymore. I don’t think they want me there either. I just don’t think I can do this anymore, dad.” Franky thought that she’d feel ashamed for admitting defeat to her dad when in reality, it was like finally lifting a heavy weight off of her chest. She felt like she could breathe again.  
  
“You’re not thinking about leaving?” Franky went silent. “Bub, listen to me. If you walk out on them, it will be the biggest mistake you will ever make and you will regret it for the rest of your life.” Alan was generally a man of few words, and Franky usually appreciated his brevity, but it didn’t appear he was short of words that night.  
  
“You should see the way she looks at me,” she whispered. Her mind flashed backwards to the feral girl determined to rip her away from her beloved wife. Her stomach turned at the memory, still to fresh of a wound to reopen just yet.  
  
“I bet I already know what it looks like.” Franky looked up to him with confusion painted on her face. “You used to look at me that way too.” Alan smiled briefly before Franky remembered their original reunion inside of a boxed visitation room.  
  
“I was a different person back then.” Her gaze fell on the ripped hole in her jeans. She began to pick at the fibers nervously.  
  
“I know you were, and you had every right. There isn’t a day that goes by I don’t think about what I did to you.” Alan reached to cover Franky’s hand to still her movement.  
  
“Dad stop. We don’t need to do this,” Franky shook her head, trying to derail the train of the conversation.  
  
“Just hear me out. What happened to you was-“ Alan continued.  
  
“I don’t want to talk about this,” she repeated firmly. She moved to get up from the couch to flee again, only to be stopped by a rough calloused hand in her own, squeezing reassuringly.  
  
“We need to. You don’t have to talk, just listen.” Alan waited for her to sit back down before he continued.  
  
“What happened to you was downright awful, and I’m sure you know that you deserved better. You had to save yourself, but you know what? You did. And now you’ve got a chance to be the parent that you needed. You’re better than me, Franky, but you need to start acting like it. Your wife and little sister are not some prison you get to escape from.”  
  
At his words, it was as if the dam had finally broken open. Franky fell into his arms as the tears overtook her once more. He weathered the storm once more, just like he always did.  
  
“She’s got a tough fight ahead of her, but you know what? She’s got the best teacher there is. Now you’re allowed to be upset tonight. But tomorrow, you get back up, and you go talk to your girls. Understand?”  
  
“Yes, dad.” Franky smiled weakly before letting herself fall back against his shoulder, tucked into his strong embrace. “I love you,” she whispered.  
  
“I love you more, bub,” Alan promised with a kiss to her temple.

The next morning she awoke with a headache, but feeling better than she had. Remorse was on the back of her mind for how she had acted, but ultimately she knew that her feelings were bound to escape. After lunch and a lazy afternoon with her dad, she left for home.  
  
By the time she’d arrived back, her anxiety was making itself known. Her hands shook as she unlocked the front door and stepped inside. Waiting for her were balloons and streamers around the space, and Bridget and Tess on the kitchen island around a birthday cake.  
  
“Hey baby,” Bridget smiled nervously. She knew that the small party would in no way fix everything that had happened the night before, but she hoped that it would be a start at making amends.  
  
“Hey,” Franky whispered softly as she stepped tentatively into the home.  
  
“Tess what do you say?” Bridget prompted the little girl.  
  
“Happee day!” the child said enthusiastically from her seat on the kitchen island in front of the cake. Her hand reached out to touch the frosting, only to be stopped again by Bridget’s hand.  
  
“No, happy birthday, remember?” The petite blonde reminded her.  
  
“Happee bird day,” Tess tried again as she poked her finger into the frosting and brought it to her lips joyfully. Franky smiled as she bounced.  
  
“Close enough,” Bridget blushed. Normally she would have already launched herself into her wife’s arms, but she knew it wasn’t the time for forced physical touch. “Happy birthday. Sorry about the cake, Tess got excited and couldn’t wait.” Bridget blushed as she looked down to the missing corner of the birthday cake. The corners of Tess’ lips were stained with frosting as she smacked her lips. Franky laughed as she reached for the other corner. “Tess, wait!” Bridget scolded softly before picking her up and placing her back down on the floor. “Can you go get the present from your room?” Bridget asked gently as she watched Tess disappear down the hall.  
  
“I’m sorry I didn’t call.” Franky’s eyes bounced between her wife and the floor uncomfortably. “I just needed some space is all,” she explained.  
  
“I know. I’m sorry if I overstepped by calling your dad. I was just really worried about you after what happened. I didn’t want you to get hurt.” Franky nodded. She knew that everything Bridget did was out of love.  
  
“I’m sorry I snapped, I just feel a bit forgotten? I’m not used to having to share you with anyone, and work has just been really hard, and I feel like I can’t talk to you about anything because we get interrupted.” Franky finally confessed to her wife.  
  
“You’re right. I haven’t been balancing things well. There’s no excuse for letting it happen. And you’re right about the way she treats you, it’s not okay. Letting her act like that isn’t okay, and it needs to stop.” On her bare feet, she had to tilt her head upwards to meet Franky’s eyes.  
  
“How are we supposed to stop it? Wear a bickie necklace around my neck?” Franky raised an eyebrow. Their fight seemed like a losing battle after everything that they’d been through.  
  
“As effective as that would be, I think we need some actual help.” Bridget smiled softly at the idea of Franky carrying a row of chocolate chip biscuits and Tess following her like a dog with a bone.  
  
“I reckon you’re right. I think… I think I should start going back to my therapist too. I’m not coping with things like I thought I was. It’s bringing shit up I thought I’d dealt with, but haven’t.” Franky had decided the night before she needed to make a point to talk to a professional.  
  
“If that’s what you want to do, then I support it.” The blonde nodded reassuringly.  
  
“Can I hold you?” Franky asked before stepping closer desperate to pull her wife in. Bridget nodded and wrapped her arms around the brunette and held her tightly. They swayed in each others arms for a moment, relishing the touch.  
  
“No! My Gidget!” Tess growled from down the hall as she stalked closer. She dropped the present onto the floor and raised her fists to stop them. Bridget’s hands grasped her fists before she could reach her target. She kneeled to meet the little girl’s eyes.  
  
“Tess this is a safe place. I am not going to let anyone hit you, so I can’t let you hit anyone else because this is a safe place. Do you understand?” Bridget said calmly as Tess struggled in her grasp briefly letting the words process. “Do you understand?” She tried once more, wanting to elicit a verbal response.  
  
“Understand,” Tess nodded as her fists unclutched and fell to her sides.  
  
“Can you look at Franky and say, ‘I’m sorry Franky’?”  
  
“I sorry, Franks,” she mumbled as her green eyes flickered up to Franky’s for just a moment before falling back on the floor.  
  
“Thank you, Tess,” Franky stuttered. It had been the first time that Tess’ anger hadn’t left her bitten or scratched.  
  
“That was such a good job,” Bridget praised the little girl before hugging her close. “Now do you want to give Franky her birthday present?”  
  
Quick to forget, Tess rushed back to the discarded gift before presenting it to Franky.  
  
“For me?” Franky asked as the pointed to herself. Tess nodded and stood up on her tiptoes to hand it over. Franky moved to open it on the couch where Tess could watch. “Can you help me open it?” She asked kindly, tearing a corner of the package. Unable to resist, Tess stepped closer and used her thumb and index finger to rip one side of the wrapping paper while Franky did the other. Franky took over and opened the slender box to reveal a necklace with a small silver shark’s tooth. Franky was unable to stop the smile from curling up at the corners of her lips.  
  
“Can you tell Franky what that is?” Bridget asked as she scooped Tess up into her arms and sat beside her wife.  
  
“Shark!” She bared her teeth and chomped a few times, for good measure, just to make sure Franky understood. Both Franky and Bridget dissolved into laughter.  
  
“Thank you, guys. It’s beautiful.” Franky smiled brightly.  
  
“Don!” Tess chimed in as she jumped up in the air. Franky turned to Bridget who had become the official Tess interpreter. She buried the guilt she felt for not being able to understand her own flesh and blood.  
  
“Do want Franky to put it on?” Bridget enunciated to the bouncy girl who quickly squealed in agreement. “Use your words,”  
  
“Yes! Puditon!” Tess begged while bouncing on the balls of her feet.  
  
“Put it on…” Bridget coached.  
  
“Pease!” Franky listened to her request and pulled the necklace out and fastening it around her neck.  
  
A knock came from the front door, distracting everyone.  
  
“Who’s that?”  
  
“Tess’ behavioral therapist.”  
  
“Why?” Franky asked, confusion painted on her features.  
  
“She’s coming to pick up Tess for a few hours.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because we’re going to dinner.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Are you broken?” Bridget laughed as she pat Franky’s knee.  
  
“No, not broken, just confused.” Was Bridget telling the truth? Had she made arrangements so that they could go on a date?  
  
Bridget stood to answer the door and escorted the therapist inside their home. Dr. Larsen was in her forties and her warm personality had worked well to help Tess open up to her. Franky did her best to hide her jealousy at their close relationship, but seeing it in person only made things more difficult.  
  
“Hi Tess!” The doctor smiled and crouched to the little girl. Tess immediately abandoned Franky and the sharktooth in favor of her best friend.  
  
“Cara!” Tess opened her arms and launched herself into the doctors. Franky’s jaw tensed as she watched the exchange. She picked up Tess and gave her a warm hug before setting her back down on the floor. Tess stayed close by playing with her hands.  
  
“Hello, Franky. Happy birthday,” she smiled brightly.  
  
“Thanks Dr. Larsen,” Franky nodded her thanks.  
  
“You can call me Cara.”  
  
“I’m good. I didn’t know you did housecalls.” Franky crossed her arms over her chest, trying to shut herself off of the conversation. Thankfully the doctor heeded her warning.  
  
“Tess do you want to go play with me in my office for a while?” She leaned down to the child once more.  
  
“Yes, please!” Tess cheered, reaching her arms to be picked up once again.  
  
“Let’s say goodbye to Gidget and Franky first.” Franky’s entire form tensed when she heard the doctor referring to her wife by that nickname. The nickname that _she_ had given her. Quickly Tess hugged Bridget around the legs and she paused and looked at Franky. She waved shyly as she took the doctor’s hand and they left.

Bridget and Franky’s drive to the restaurant was quiet, save for a few comments about the weather and idiot drivers.  
  
“Are you mad about Cara watching Tess?” Bridget finally implored. She could see something was bothering Franky, but she knew that her wife was probably filing it away for later processing. Franky shrugged at the question and focused on merging into the correct lane, but truthfully she was just avoiding the question entirely. It was the first moment she’d had alone with her wife for months, and she wasn’t about to waste it on another unsolvable argument. “She’s a good person, and she’s good for Tess.” Bridget defended.  
  
“I never said that she wasn’t.” Franky knew that Dr. Larsen was good, but she was too good.  
  
“Are you jealous?”  
  
“About what? The fact that she gets hugs and calls you Gidge?” Franky mumbled with her eyes on the road.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Yeah, I fuckin hate it actually.” If she wanted honesty, she’d get it. No use sugar coating what was already out in the open. Things were not perfect in their relationship, and it wasn’t going to help matters by sweeping it under the rug like Franky had been trying so desperately to do.  
  
“I’m sorry, Baby. It’s important to use the same vocabulary as Tess, so that’s why she calls me Gidget. If it really bothers you that much maybe-”  
  
“Can we not talk about this right now? Please?” Franky interrupted her wife just as she was pulling to a parking space. She turned Bridget and faced her with tears burning in her eyes again. “This is the first time I’ve been alone with you in forever and I really don’t want to spend it arguing about this. Can it wait until later? Can we please just be a normal couple and do regular couple things for a few hours?” Franky begged with a lopsided smile. She needed some normalcy back in her life even if it was just for a little while.  
  
“Of course,” Bridget agreed as she reached out and squeezed Franky’s knee reassuringly. “Let’s go eat.” She smiled slightly. Franky’s walls of brick and mortar were built back up around her after everything she’d endured, and Bridget couldn’t blame her. She couldn’t imagine the amount of pain she’d been hiding.  
  
“Thank you,” Franky whispered before opening her door to go inside the restaurant. She waited for Bridget to meet her at the sidewalk before reaching her hand out to link them together. That was a good sign, Bridget thought. Maybe she wasn’t so unreachable after all.  
  
Their meal at Franky’s favorite little restaurant felt like a vacation in itself. There was no constant worry about how Tess was feeling or what she might do. Instead Bridget could really focus on her wife, and realize how tired and detached she appeared.  
  
“How’s work been?” She said as she sipped from her wine glass.  
  
“Work is work, busy as ever. Thankfully Lala is starting to carry her own weight. It’s nice to have someone else to do a majority of the courthouse and coffee runs,” Franky replied.  
  
“That must be really nice.”  
  
“It is, she’s actually really fuckin sharp too, I think she was just nervous at first. I really thought at first someone from higher up hired her based on her looks alone, but no, she’s good. She’s been helping me with a couple of cases.” Franky left out the part about how she’d been having her drive by the homes of some of Jeremy Hansen’s cases to see whether or not he was hiding more than just one case that had fallen through the cracks. The young paralegal had been so willing to help once when she’d stumbled upon the pictures that Franky kept hidden in the top drawer of her desk. She was turning out to be a pretty decent person to pass the days with.  
  
“She’s attractive then?” Franky shrugged, knowing better than to fall into the deep trap in the earth hidden beneath all of the foliage. She loved her well-adjusted wife, but even Bridget would sometimes fall victim to jealousy over the pretty young things that continuously tried to throw themselves on her stunning wife. Their age difference never mattered, except in these moments.  
  
“You don’t have to be coy, you can tell me if she is,” Bridget played off her true feelings.  
  
“Is this really what you want to spend dinner talking about? My hot coworker?” Franky  
  
raised an eyebrow before shaking her head.  
  
“So she is attractive,” Bridget interpreted her silence.  
  
“Stop. You asked me about how work was going, and I was telling you,” Franky pleaded.  
  
“Okay, you’re right, I’m sorry.” Silence fell over the pair as the server returned and  
  
swapped out their salads with their pizza and refilled their wine glasses as well. “I’m glad you have someone to talk to there.” Franky didn’t keep many friends. She’d broken ties to all of the friendships she’d had from before Wentworth, knowing that they’d potentially risk her probation to be around boozers and drug users. That life was long behind her. And the friendships she’d made inside Wentworth had stayed there hidden safely away behind bars. She didn’t really have anyone outside of Bridget and her father, and most of the time that was okay. But now with everything going on, maybe it was a good thing that she’d had someone outside of their circle to spend some time with. “You should invite her over for dinner sometime,” Bridget offered.  
  
“Yeah, maybe,” she nodded and picked at her pizza. Franky dreamed about the place’s hand tossed pizza dough, but she was finding it incredibly difficult to it it with the knot returning in her stomach. The awkward silence had returned over the couple, and it filled Franky’s body with an uneasy feeling. “What did we used to talk about before all this?”  
  
“Before Tess?”  
  
“Yeah, I’m struggling. It’s like I’ve wanted this time with you and now I don’t even remember what to say.”  
  
“You don’t have to say anything. Sometimes it’s just nice to be in each other’s company. No adorable tyrant telling us what to do.” Bridget smiled at her words. Tess was cute, but she was also Franky’s sister in every sense.  
  
“Yeah, she is pretty fucking cute. Makes the whole biting thing a little easier.” Franky rubbed the tender bruised spot on her hand from a few days prior when her hand had krept to closely to a snuggle Bridget and Tess on the couch.  
  
“I’m sorry.”  
  
“I know, and I appreciate what you did earlier, stopping her.”  
  
“Of course, I should have stopped her a long time ago.”  
  
“Better late than never at all. We probably have to head back, yeah?” Franky glanced at her watch and felt the moments alone ticking by.  
  
“We’ve got a couple hours left, why? You’re anxious to get home?” Bridget felt the anxiety rising her her chest. Had they really lost sight of each other and their relationship that much?  
  
“To our completely empty house? With my beautiful wife who I haven’t slept with in four months? Yes, yes I am, I feel like that goes without saying.” Franky bit her bottom lip.  
  
“Excuse me sir, could we please get some boxes and the check?” Bridget stopped the server with a bright smile that made her wife giggle softly.

The drive home was quick as Franky weaved in and out of traffic, desperate to make the most out of the free time that remained. She pulled into the driveway hastily and almost collided with another car.  
  
“What in the…” Bridget muttered before she noticed a tall blonde at their front porch. Franky opened the door and stood.  
  
“Lala?”  
  
“Franks, hey! Sorry, I wanted to drop this off for you, but then no one was home so I was just going to leave it on the porch and-” The young blonde babbled on.  
  
“Breathe girl,” Franky teased with a smile. Lala laughed and her eyes stopped on the petite blonde.  
  
“Sorry, hi, I’m Lucy, you must be Bridget.” She extended her long arm in order to shake hands with Bridget. Franky could practically see the hair on the back of Bridget’s neck stand up.  
  
“It’s nice to meet you,” Bridget lied. There was no question that Franky had downplayed the young paralegal’s appearance. She was drop dead gorgeous with full lips and wide blue eyes. “What brings you by?”  
  
“Huh? Oh! Yeah, I was just dropping off a birthday present for you. I didn’t get a chance  
  
to give it to you yesterday because I swung around the Carson house again.” Lucy extended the gift bag over to Franky’s hand.  
  
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Franky shook her head.  
  
“Stop, after you saved my arse with Festler the other day? It was the least I could do.” Franky chuckled at the memory. Lala had mistakenly mixed up cases and Franky had quickly stepped in during her debriefing to save her in front of their boss.  
  
“Well, thank you. It means a lot.” Franky leaned in and gave the girl a quick hug.  
  
“We’ll I should bounce. Bridget it was really nice to meet you.” Lala gave another quick wave before dashing towards her car.  
  
The moment Franky opened the door for her wife to enter their home, Bridget’s hands were on the buttons of her blouse.  
  
“What are you…” Franky immediately lost her train of thought as she watched the blouse slip off her shoulders and onto the ground, leaving her in one of her many, flimsy and expensive bras. Franky’s eyes hardened the moment Bridget’s golden skin came into view, and then instinct took over. She dropped the pizza box on the couch and picked up her wife with ease. Their lips crashed over one another in an almost painful kiss, desperate to remember what the other tasted like in these moments. Franky backed them over towards the kitchen table where she continued to let her lips wander over her neck and chest. Bridget was nearly lost in it as she sat on top of the table, but then she remembered what it was like to have unlimited access to Franky’s muscular form. They allowed their hands to relearn each other’s skin again after months of solitude. Bridget felt blindly for the edge of Franky’s sweater to pull over her head before pressing skin to skin, practically moaning at the intimate touch. Fuck, how had they gone without for so long?  
  
Without another moment to lose, Franky’s hands dipped under Bridget’s skirt to pull her underwear down smooth legs. Once the offending garment had hit the floor, her fingers were sliding inside of her slick heat, falling blindly under the spell that Bridget’s body was casting.  
  
“Oh!” Bridget gasped as her head fell against Franky’s shoulder, immediately being filled to the hilt. The only sound in the house was panting breaths being pulled into heaving chests as Franky pulled her in tight, her arse teetering on the edge of the green table. “Please, Baby,” she begged wantonly as she bit down on her bottom lip. Franky obliged and began thrusting her fingers in time to the rhythm of her hips. “Yes,” Bridget praised. It took only the span of a few minutes before her legs began to shake at the pace her wife was setting. Franky pushed the placemats and other items strewn across the table out of the way, hearing the crashing of one candlestick snap in half when it hit the floor. Neither cared enough to comment, too lost in the moment. Franky lay Bridget back against the cleared space and her body was on top of hers, her fingers never skipping a beat as they curled delicately against her sensitive front wall. “Fuck!” Bridget finally swore, feeling herself ready to come unglued at the pure primality of it all. She wrapped her arms around Franky’s strong shoulders tightly as she felt her body take flight. Her back arched off the table as she came with a low moan; a climax the likes of which she had never experienced before.  
  
What normally would have left her exhausted and spent, was currently having the exact opposite effect. She controlled the shakiness of her limbs long enough to slip out from underneath her wife, and lead her by the hand towards the couch. Bridget hands first reached around Franky’s back, releasing her ample breasts from her bra before she fell to her knees and unbuttoned her pants. Franky looked down to her over the long line of her body before Bridget was pushing her newly naked form to sit back on the couch. Her petite hands caressed her toned thighs before leaning in to trail a layer of wet kisses upwards to her target. About to lose her mind with lust, Franky rolled her hips downward, desperate for the touch she knew was coming. Bridget smiled sensually before she leaned down and planted her lips tenderly at the patch of skin, just above her clitoris; where Franky wanted her the most.  
  
“Fuck! Gidge, please,” she whimpered. With her wife’s sex still wet on her hand, she grabbed for her hair trying to edge her down closer. Bridget put her out of her beautiful agony and pressed her flattened down over the delicate little bud and was rewarded with a deep sigh from above. Franky’s head fell back against the back of the couch as she let Bridget take control of her body. Her eyelids fluttered closed, visions of Bridget’s euphoric face from moments ago clouding her mind. “Inside,” she finally worked up the ability to speak, dangling on the edge of the cliff. Over the years, Bridget had learned to play her wife like an instrument, knowing exactly when was the right time to ratchet up the intensity and send her into the throes of pleasure unlike anything she’d experienced before. “Bridget!” She squeaked out as her free hand gripped the edge of the couch until her knuckles turned white. Bridget finally relented, and slipped inside of her and sending Franky toppling over.  
  
Utterly spent and panting for air, Franky collapsed against the couch and tossed her hands over her head until they bumped into the forgotten pizza box. Bridget followed suit, and climbed on top of her like a blanket, melting into her skin. Once again, all was right with the world.  
  
“I needed that,” Franky whispered into Bridget’s damp blonde locks once she’d finally caught her breath.  
  
“Mm, me too. And now I think we need a shower before Tess gets back.” The couple did not need to air their dirty laundry in front of Tess’ psychologist...literally.  
  
“Together?” Franky asked as she palmed Bridget’s arse.  
  
“Yeah, is that alright?” Bridget sat up to be able to see Franky’s face.  
  
“It’s perfect.” She smiled as she reached up to push a stray piece of blonde hair behind Bridget’s ear.  
  
The last thirty minutes of their solitude was spent bathing one another inside the sanctuary of their shower. Franky took her time soaping up every inch of her wife, but got distracted once more between her thighs. After they’d finished round two, Bridget washed Franky’s long mane clean. As they dried themselves off, Bridget suddenly remembered her own birthday present for her wife tucked into her nightstand. She disappeared into the room and returned to the bathroom where she set the small box onto the countertop.  
  
“What’s that?” Franky eyed the box suspiciously.  
  
“Open it?” Bridget bit her lip in anticipation. Franky listened and cracked the lid of the gift. She couldn’t hold in the small gasp from escaping her throat. Nestled safely inside was a thin silver band with three stones; aquamarine for Bridget, amethyst for Tess, and emerald for Franky. Wordlessly, Franky slipped it on her finger and looked at Bridget with tears in her eyes. The two embraced once more, still warm from their shower.  
  
“I fuckin’ love you,” Franky purred softly into her ear.  
  
“And I fuckin’ love you too,” Bridget cooed back before sealing her words with a kiss. Times were definitely proving to be more challenging than ever. But after all that they had been through, Franky was pretty positive that they could survive anything.


	7. Chapter 7

Once they’d dried and dressed, the doorbell rang signaling that Bridget and Franky’s time was up and their date night was over. Bridget opened to door and Tess was instantly attached to her legs.  
  
“Gidget!” Tess smiled as she hugged her leg with all her strength. Bridget noted that Tess was steadily getting taller. Looking at her now it was hard to tell that she had ever been the sickly girl in the barred hospital bed.  
  
“Hi, Tess. Did you have a good time with Cara?” Bridget knelt down to her height opening her arms for a real hug. Bridget could feel Tess nod against her shoulder in response to her question.  
  
“Tess can you go say hi to Franky?” She said in a quiet voice. Tess’s smile faltered slightly at the request, and her eyes searched the home for her older sister. Eventually she found Franky in the kitchen eating now cold pizza over the sink. Tess bounced over towards her and stopped a few steps shy.  
  
“Hi Tess,” Franky said with a mouthful of pizza and a smile.  
  
“Hi,” she responded and touched her stomach.  
  
“You hungry?” Franky asked as she reached to pull a small piece of pizza out of the box for her.  
  
“Oh, we ate already.” Cara piped up from her spot at the entryway. Franky returned to slice to the box, and Tess’ switch flipped.  
  
“No!” She yelled at Franky and stomped her feet on the floor loudly.  
  
“You’ve had dinner, you don’t need pizza, bub,” Franky leaned down to try to reason with  
  
the little girl only to be met with a slap to her cheek and another disapproving scream directly into her face. Instantly her hand flew to the throbbing skin and she stood and took a few steps back at the shock.  
  
“Peetsa!” Tess yelled at her and hit her side repeatedly until Franky had backed herself into the corner cabinets.  
  
“Tess you cannot hit. I won’t let anyone hit you, and you can’t hit anyone.” Bridget intervened as she held Tess’s hands inside hers again. “Can you please say sorry to Franky?”  
  
“No!” She pouted and stomped her feet again. Her tiny face had turned bright red.  
  
“Tess I will ask you one more time to say sorry to Franky,” Bridget tried again.  
  
“NO!” Tess screeched at the top of her lungs, going full meltdown mode. Bridget picked her up and carried her down the hallway as she kicked and screamed, leaving Franky to lick her wounds under the watchful eyes of the doctor.  
  
“Is she always this aggressive to you?” Cara stepped into the kitchen. Franky fetched the waiting ice pack from the freezer and placed it on her burning cheek.  
  
“Not all the time,” Franky shrugged and maneuvered the pizza box into the fridge with one hand.  
  
“But often,” the doctor tried again.  
  
“What’s it to you?” Franky sneered while she leaned against the stainless steel appliance so she could see the petite brunette.  
  
“I’m the one treating Tess, I need to know so I can help her with any unwelcome behaviors,” Cara explained.  
  
“Look, I appreciate all you’re doing for her, it’s really helping-”  
  
“You look like her don’t you?” Cara interrupted Franky’s words and her train of thought completely.  
  
“Excuse me?” She asked defensively.  
  
“Your mum, you look like her. That’s why she acts that way around you.” Cara didn’t say it matter of factly, her words came out even and calm. She had merely observed behavior and came up with a logical hypothesis. Franky remained silent, not yet ready to confirm or deny the truth. “I think that I can help.” The doctor took a step closer and placed a reassuring hand on Franky’s shoulder. Franky nodded, finally swallowing her pride and willing to admit that she needed help.

The only time that Franky had been to Cara’s office was in their initial first week with Tess. When Franky had to return to work fulltime, she was unable to accompany Bridget and Tess in their daily routine due to her grueling hours. With circumstances now as dire as they were, Franky had arranged with Imogen to slip away for an hour a few times a week. She of course had to make up for it by working through lunches on the off days, but she knew that it was what had to be done. Franky just couldn’t stand to walk on eggshells in her own home anymore. She wanted her life back.  
  
She’d arrived five minutes late to their first group session, swearing under her breath at the slow drivers she’d encountered. She sprinted up the stairs to make up the lost time. By the time she’d entered Cara’s office, all three of them were already inside and engaged in a game on the floor.  
  
“Franky, come on in,” Cara welcomed her. “We were just starting a game. Tess is it okay with you if Franky joins?” She asked the small girl who was now distributing cards into three piles. She didn’t look up to see that Franky had entered the room or acknowledge her presence entirely. “Tess, can Franky play with us?” Cara prompted once more.  
  
“Okay.” She finally relented and added some cards to a new pile for Franky.  
  
“Thank you, Tess.” Franky sat down on the ground and crossed her long legs underneath her. She silently wondered how Cara’s bones didn’t ache after spending hours on the floor like this.  
  
The initial session that they’d had together did not feel like therapy at all; it was a game. The four took turns laying out cards and making pairs. There wasn’t even a whole lot of talking either. How were they ever going to make any progress just playing on the floor? Had Franky _really_ just given up her lunch hour to play games? Was this really what they were paying this shrink to do? What kind of scam was this? When their time was up, Cara hugged Tess and said her goodbyes.  
  
“We’ll see you in two days okay? Franky? Can you stay for a minute?” Just when she thought she was home free. Franky hugged and kissed her wife and gave Tess a little wave goodbye before they left her at the mercy of the doctor. “How do you think today went?” She motioned for Fanky to have a seat on the couch. Looking around the room, everything was painted in bright primary colors and books and toys lined every available surface of the space.  
  
“Good? At some point do we get to the actual therapy?” Franky asked skeptically.  
  
“It might not feel like it, but what we did today was therapy. Counseling children is a little different than adults,” Cara sat on the armchair beside her.  
  
“We played cards.” Franky raised an eyebrow.  
  
“On the surface, yes. But you also saw Tess practicing sharing and working with others. She even invited you into the game which is a pretty big step from what I understand.” Franky stayed silent as she processed. All of that from just one lousy game of cards? “The reason I asked you to stay back was because I wanted to talk to you about some things that I’ve noticed.” Franky nodded for her to continue, her throat becoming too dry to actually form words. She prepared for the serve that she would undoubtedly receive. “I notice that there is a lack of positive physical touch from you to Tess. Would you agree?”  
  
“You mean to say that she shouldn't use me as a punching bag?” Franky asked sarcastically. Cara waited with her face unwavering. “Sometimes we do,” she finally managed to whisper, rubbing the phantom pain on her finger.  
  
“That’s good to hear. When does this usually happen?” Cara pulled a file into her lap and began to jot down notes. Franky wondered what else the file said about her. _Clearly in over her head_ , Franky imagined her writing down.  
  
“During meal times, I guess… She likes to watch me cook. Or when she needs to see something up high she wants to get to. Sometimes we go to the aquarium to see the sharks and she lets me hold her so she can see.” _No point in lying, Doyle_. Tell her the truth.  
  
“I see.” Cara continued to write.  
  
“Is that bad?” Franky began to pick at her cuticles nervously.  
  
“No, not at all. She trusts you enough to provide her with her basic needs, but not yet with her emotional needs,” the doctor explained with ease. Less than ten minutes and she had already figured Franky out.  
  
“So what now? What do we do?” _Because we’re certainly not getting anywhere playing fuckin cards on the floor._  
  
“Now we work on building that emotional bond.” Cara tucked away the folder and set it on the table beside her.  
  
“What do you think I’ve been trying to do for the past six months?” Franky snapped.  
  
“Franky I have no doubt in my mind that is what you have been trying to do. It’s important to remember how far Tess has come from the scared girl cowering in the corner.” She was right. Franky knew that she was right, but it didn’t stop her from hating that she was.  
  
“I just...I don’t want her to hate me forever,” she replied honestly.  
  
“She doesn’t hate you. She just needs help disassociating you from the memories of her mother. It’s not uncommon. Now we take the time to figure out what is triggering these memories and build some new positive ones for Tess to hold onto.” Franky nodded. Anything was better than the way that things were.

After their initial session the trio continued to meet with Cara three times a week, but Franky was disappointed to find that it was just more countless games. She tried her best to trust Cara’s words, but by the end of the fifth session with no results, she began to lose hope. Tess was still hitting her and screaming in her ears. Instead of really taking the time to sort through her emotions, Franky turned herself once more back to work. Festler had been pushing Franky out of the office every day at five-thirty like clockwork, so she had to make her hours count. She was currently typing an email to a while simultaneously eating her lunch and waiting on hold for a caseworker.  
  
“Franks, you need to come with me,” Lucy popped her head into their office. When Lucy had proven herself a good ally, Franky had cleared enough space in her small office for another small desk for her. Festler didn’t even have to ask. She’d also started referring to her by her proper name unless the blonde got babbling or needed a good tease from a friend. Franky held her hand up to silence her coworker when she saw the look on her face. Her normally bright complexion appeared pale. She’d looked like she’d seen a ghost. Franky immediately hung up the phone and stood up.  
  
“Hey what’s going on?” Franky’s eyebrows creased with concern. She’d never seen the young girl look this way, and it was getting to her.  
  
“I found another house on his caseload,” she said in a low voice so as not to arouse suspicion from their boss working in the office nearby. Franky knew that Festler would not be pleased with their current pet project, so it was kept under wraps.  
  
“So what?”  
  
“Just come with me,” Lucy said before turning and walking back out of the office, not caring to wait for Franky to follow.  
  
“Hey boss, Lucy needs some help with-” Franky started to lie when she turned the corner and noticed Festler on a very heated telephone call. She covered the mouthpiece and waved her away.  
  
“Go,” she mouthed and nodded to Franky.  
  
The pair left the office and drove towards the house in question. Lucy stayed silent with her jaw tense and hands clutching the steering wheel. Franky would have been lying if she said that the younger woman’s behavior wasn’t concerning. Normally there was no way to switch off the girl’s voice box from chattering away. The further they drove, the more familiar the seedy streets became until finally they stopped. The blonde pointed without a word to the house at the end of the street, and Franky’s breath was gone.  
  
“It’s that one,” Lucy finally spoke.  
  
“I know.”  
  
“You’ve driven by before?”  
  
“No, I...I lived here,” Franky admitted.  
  
Franky had done her best to forget where she was from twelve to fifteen. She’d take a lifetime of memories of her mother over the shit that she had endured in her first foster home. Although foster farm seemed like the more appropriate label. At first she’d thought it was the answer to her prayers. The house from the outside looked normal, it even had a swing set in the backyard. But inside was just another hell hiding behind different color walls. Franky had been one of six foster children in the three bedroom home. There were four girls and two boys. Franky and one of the younger girls shared a bed which the young girl would frequently wet. Franky had taken to sleeping on the floor to avoid the nightly wake up calls. At least with her mum she’d had her own bed. At least with her she knew what to expect. Sure she wasn’t being burned and beaten in her new home, but the chaos was worse. There was never a single second of peace. The house was constantly filled with loud children just begging to be heard. She knew that it was pointless to try, so she just stopped talking unless forced to do so. Franky longed for silence. She’d never had a moment alone unless she was bathing. Even then, her foster brothers would barge in and rip the shower curtain open on her or steal her towel.  
  
“Franky? Are you okay?” Lucy’s voice snapped her out of her memories. Franky nodded quickly.  
  
“Yeah, fine,” she lied. Lucy at least had the decency not to call her on it.  
  
“Look there.” Lucy pointed towards the porch. Franky narrowed her eyes to get a better look, but the rain was making it difficult to see anything. But there huddled against the house was a shivering figure of a boy. He sat with his legs pulled tightly against his chest. Franky could see his feet were uncovered and at the mercy of the elements. “Is that enough to call in?” She turned to ask Franky just as she reached for the door handle. “Franky no!” She held her back with an arm across her chest.  
  
“He’s freezing. I can’t just leave him there. Just cover me, yeah?” Franky pulled one of Tess’ blankets out of the back seat before exiting the car and walking down the street towards the house.  
  
The house had deteriorated significantly in fifteen years, but it still held the same memories of chaos. Franky knew the reason she’d landed in the home was for the simple fact that foster parents were paid more for taking care of older children. Her foster mum only saw dollars and cents when she looked in her green eyes. Being the oldest meant the two boys were fascinated with her maturation. She remembered when one tried to slip a hand under her uniform skirt and she’d punched him square in the jaw. She’d spent days on her hands and knees cleaning the floors and baseboards for her actions. It had been worth it though, to watch the boy’s shocked face when his nose had began to pour blood.  
  
When Franky approached the front porch, she could see how small the boy was.  
  
“Hey there. My name is Franky,” she said softly to the boy. His eyes met hers, but he didn’t say a word of greetings to her. “Why aren’t you inside away from the rain?”  
  
“Can’t,” he finally muttered.  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Mum said to stay out here.” The boy began to rub his bare feet in an attempt to keep his blood circulating.  
  
“Here,” Franky handed him the blanket through the fence posts. “I don’t use it anymore.” She continued when he didn’t move to grab it. “Go ahead, warm yourself up a bit.” Finally he relented and wrapped it around his feet. “That’s better isn’t it?” He nodded.  
  
“Thank you,” he said quietly.  
  
“Can you tell me your name?” Franky asked with a gentle smile. The boy shook his head.  
  
“Mum would get mad at me for talking to strangers.” His eyes fell onto his hands.  
  
“I’m not a stranger. I used to live here too.” The boy looked at her suspiciously. “I used to  
  
stay in the room with the horses on the wall.” She remembered it as clear as day. She’d woken up to the peeling wallpaper for over four years of her life.  
  
“Mum keeps the girls in that room. I stay in the boys room with the airplanes. They’re all away at school.”  
  
“Why aren’t you at school?”  
  
“I’m too young to go, I’m five.” Franky’s heart surged upwards in her chest at the boy’s words. He was the same age as her sister. They had the same large wide eyes that scanned their surroundings for threats without ceasing. What atrocities had their eyes witnessed to make them that way? Before she could open her mouth to speak again, Franky heard the bellowing woman’s voice on the other side of the door. “Hurry! You better go or mum will get mad!” The boy scrambled up and slid the blanket back through the posts before standing at attention with his back against the peeling paint of the home. Not willing to risk any punishment to the boy, Franky hurried back towards the car and dove inside before she witnessed the front door open.  
  
And out walked Jeremy fucking Hansen, zipping his trousers with a shit eating grin on his face. Franky and Lucy sat in silence as they watched him get into his car and drive away. The little boy was yanked inside by a large angry woman.  
  
“He’s gonna pay,” Franky promised with her fists clenched in her lap.  
  
“I’ll start drafting the report,” Lucy responded.  
  
“I’ll do it,” she muttered through clenched teeth.  
  
“Franky…conflict of interest, remember?” Lucy was right. Franky finally acquiesced. If she couldn’t do file the report herself, she knew that it was alright in Lucy’s capable hands.  
  
“You know, you’re shaping up to be a pretty good Robin,” Franky teased with a wink.  
  
“Why do you get to be Batman?” the blonde scoffed, offended to have been made Franky’s side kick.  
  
“Because I look better in black.” Franky smiled. “Now back to the Batcave, Robin.”

“Cara asked if we could push up to eleven tomorrow if that’s alright?” Bridget asked from her spot in front of her laptop at the kitchen table. Franky could have been her reflection, mirroring the exact same position from the other side. Tess played happily under the table beneath them, occasionally running a toy car over her and Bridget’s feet while quietly making noises of revving engines.  
  
“Yeah, sure,” Franky sighed and continued to finish typing up her forgotten report from earlier. After Lucy and Franky left, she knew she’d be unable to walk back into Legal Relief without alerting Imogen. Her boss had the innate ability to read her like a book. Instead Lucy had dropped her off at home on the way, promising to cover for her.  
  
“You’ll have your car back by then?” Bridget asked without glancing up to her wife.  
  
“I told ya, we were already ten minutes away, it didn’t make sense for her to drive me all the way back-”  
  
“I know,” Bridget interrupted her retelling of her story about how her and Lucy had a meeting with a client nearby. Franky carefully omitted the part about the meeting actually being a stakeout of Jeremy fucking Hansen. Her blood had settled down from a roaring boil to just a simmer, but it was still there inside her veins.  
  
“Then why did you say it like that?” Franky leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest defensively. She was getting tired of Bridget’s unspoken jealousy over her friend. More specifically, her only friend on the outside. Her best friend was still in prison serving time for drugs that Franky had been responsible for bringing in. Boomer was like no other. If Boomer had been on the outside with Franky today, Jeremy would already be dead and buried.  
  
“Like what?” Bridget asked, feigning ignorance. If there was thing in the world that Bridget wasn’t, it was ignorant. She was cunning and one of the most observant people Franky had ever met.  
  
“Lucy is my friend. Those are hard kind of hard to come by for an ex-reality star turned convicted criminal. And you know for a psychologist who doesn’t believe in playing games, you sure are playing a lot of them. And I’m not talking about Tess’ so called ‘therapy’”. Franky raised her hands to make air quotes with her fingers. She had thought that her and Bridget’s time alone together would fix all their problems, but boy was she wrong. She begun to think that not talking to Bridget might be the better solution to her problems. What she doesn’t know, won’t hurt her, right? Maybe then she’d stop getting the third degree about her makeshift sidekick.  
  
“What are you talking about?” Finally her blue eyes were off her screen and connecting with Franky’s. Finally, Franky thought. Pulling Bridget’s eyes off of her computer screen and her studies was becoming increasingly hard to do. Franky had caught her up late one night typing away and Bridget had finally come clean. She was using her time to complete her dissertation for her doctorate degree. Although Franky wasn’t angry, she was fucking proud. But she was confused as to why Bridget wouldn’t just come right out and tell her she wanted to go back to school in the first place.  
  
“I’m just saying. We’re paying her a hundred dollars an hour to deal me some cards in Go Fish. Maybe you should look into being a baby shrink so we can really rake in the dough.” Each session that they had with Tess’ doctor and Franky could feel their wallets getting lighter. And for what? For games and coloring?  
  
“You know I don’t appreciate when you call me or my colleagues shrinks,” Bridget pushed herself back from the table and stood to fetch some books from the shelf.  
  
“I’m sorry… It’s just a lot of money.” Franky could see that she had struck a nerve and quickly paddled back to safer waters.  
  
“She costs what she costs.” Bridget shrugged and returned to the table with her books.  
  
“So you’re not the least bit concerned that we’re blowing through your savings?” Franky had just had to transfer more money over from Bridget’s savings account to her own checking in order to pay their bills. She sighed and closed her laptop. Her report would have to wait until tomorrow, her focus was completely gone.  
  
“If this is what it takes to help her, then its what we will do.” She was right. She was always right about these things.  
  
“I want to help her too, but isn’t there someone we can go to that’s more affordable?”  
  
“Cara has been one of the only constants that Tess has ever known, and you want to rip that away from her because of the price? Do you know what kind of damage that could cause? She could regress back and lose all of the progress that we have have made. Is that what you want?” Bridget shook her head in shock. She’d already explained to Franky the need for consistency and routine in Tess’ life.  
  
“Of course not!”  
  
“Why are you so concerned with money all of a sudden?” Bridget’s eyes narrowed in trying to find the root of the problem.  
  
“Because, I just am,” Franky shrugged.  
  
“Franky, don’t pull that bullshit on me,” Bridget whispered so Tess could not hear the explicit words and repeat them like a parrot. She already had the words fuck and shit in her arsenal from Franky’s sailor-like tongue, and Bridget really didn’t want be the one to add even more. She hadn’t even begun school yet.  
  
“No matter what I do, I will never earn what you do. I won’t even get close. I’m stuck and soon enough Lala’s going to be gone and making triple what I am.” Franky Doyle was a prideful creature. Bridget had learned that long ago. She’d just assumed with time and security that her pride had been pushed away or at least softened. But now with the line of conversation pointing in that direction, it was evident that she still carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.  
  
“Franky you know I don’t care about what you’re earning as long as you’re happy doing it,” Bridget reminded her and she meant it. She knew that most people who said the words did secretly harbor some resentment, but she had none. Franky was happy doing what she loved, using her intellect for good instead of evil, or so Bridget had thought.  
  
“You don’t care, but I do. You’re doing all this, and I should be able to support you bothand not have to dip into your savings for fucking groceries.” Franky sighed. She hated feeling like she wasn’t enough for her wife and sister.  
  
“I could care less what we use it for. That’s why we have it.”  
  
“And what happens when I bleed you dry, huh? What then?”  
  
“You are never going to bleed me dry. Where is this coming from? Are you unhappy at work?”  
  
“I’m a glorified fact checker, Gidge. You know what I did yesterday at work? I sat in on interviews with Imogen for a new lawyer.” Franky finally confessed.  
  
“Oh, Franky,” Bridget whispered. She was hurting.  
  
“She thought it would be a good idea since I know the agency better than anyone else. I had to look at all of those people in the eye knowing that I will never be on that side of the table. I’ll never be in their shoes.” Bridget knew that Franky would realize sooner or later that she had reached her peak. She had nowhere else to go in her career, and someone like her wife needed challenge in order to thrive. A bored mind was a wasted mind to Franky.  
  
“Franky I just don’t understand where all of this is coming from, Baby.” Franky hesitated for a moment before pulling the envelope out of her briefcase and handing it over to Bridget. She watched as the blonde’s eyes read the letter and took it all in.  
  
“Why didn't you tell me you took the Bar?” Bridget whispered. She’d held onto the results for months buried deep in the inside pocket of her bag.  
  
“Yeah, but it doesn't mean anything, does it?” Franky shrugged. She’d initially taken it just to see if she’d pass, but all it had done was make her feel worse. Now she carried it around the rejection as a constant reminder of what could have been had she not been so stupid.  
  
“Yes it does. Look how high you scored!” Bridget stood from the table, her excitement bubbling over. She ran to the other side of the table to hug her.  
  
“It doesn't change anything. No matter what, I’m still on the wrong side of the table. If I would have just stopped and thought for one split second, I could be the one in court defending these people. It doesn't matter how much time you spend inside, Gidge. Whether it's ten months or ten years, it's all a life sentence in the end. Because that's exactly what they take from you - any life you could ever hope to have." Franky’s eyes filled with unexpected tears that she fought to blink away.  
  
We aren't defined by labels the world plasters on us, Franky. You're much more than an ex-con, just like I'm more than a shameless cougar.” Bridget pulled Franky close and cupped her reddened cheeks in her palms. “You have made me happier than anyone I have ever known. I am so proud of the person that you’ve become.” Bridget pressed her forehead to Franky’s; it was their silent declaration of love.  
  
“Do you really mean it?” Franky whispered as they swayed. Bridget smiled. Now she understood. Her prideful lion needed a bit of reassurance.  
  
“I would not change a damn thing. Now come on and make this cougar purr,” Bridget teased as she reached for the remote to turn on the stereo. Franky’s lips instantly curled at the corners back into that wide lopsided grin. The two began to dance to the rhythm of the song wrapped in each others arms. Caught up in the moment, they had almost missed Tess slipping out from under the table and beginning to rock her body back and forth to the music with her hands high in the air. Bridget gripped Franky’s arm as they watched her move.  
  
“Get it, Tess.” Franky encouraged the little girl to continue. Unprompted, she began to bounce around and shake her behind causing the couple to erupt into a fit of laughter.  
  
“She’s definitely your sister,” Bridget said as she patted Franky’s bum.  
  
“Why do you say that?”  
  
“Because neither of you have rhythm,” Bridget chidded.  
  
“Ouch! Really? No rhythm?” Franky grabbed her heart in fake shock. “That’s not what you were saying last night while I was making you purr, cougar.” Franky leaned in and planted a deep kiss on her wife’s soft lips.  
  
“Touché, Baby.” Bridget admitted defeat.  
  
“Now shush and dance with me.” Franky pulled her by the hips towards the living room with Tess bouncing behind them.


	8. Chapter 8

Franky managed to scarf down her sandwich on her drive towards Cara’s office and actually managed to make it there before her wife and Tess. She sat in the waiting room in a chair entirely too small for her long legs.  
  
“Hey Franky! Why don’t you come on back?” Cara greeted her with a smile at the door. Franky exhaled the breath she was holding being surrounded by rambunctious little kids on all sides of her. She much prefered Tess’ quiet play to this utter chaos. “I’d like to try something new today.”  
  
“Ah, damn. No cards?” Franky’s response came with sarcasm oozing at its seams.  
  
“Not today. Have you ever heard of theraplay?” Cara busied herself by cleaning up a few scattered toys from the rug and tucking them back away.  
  
“Thera-what?”  
  
“Theraplay is a counseling technique used with children. Remember we walked about building up the positive touch between you and Tess? I’d like to start that today. Would you mind taking off your jacket?” Cara moved towards the shelf where she pulled a box of markers.  
  
“What?” Franky held the lapel of her blazer in both hands. “Why?” She asked suspiciously. Was this shrink trying to get in her pants?  
  
“This is a drawing that Tess did of you yesterday.” Cara held out the page for Franky to see. There were only two indications that the scowling stick figure on the page was Franky. The first was the height difference between her and her wife. Bridget’s little blonde head only reach up to Franky’s waist on the page. The second was the swirl of colors covering her stick arms.  
  
“She drew my tattoos.” Franky smiled softly. It felt good to know that Tess knew she existed inside Tess’ mind.  
  
“She did. I thought it might be interesting to try and have her draw on your skin. If that’s okay.” Cara set her supply of markers down. Franky shrugged, in response and removed her jacket. This was therapy? Before she had a moment to reply, Tess came bouncing in with Bridget close behind.  
  
“Hi Cara!” Tess smiled towards her therapist and reached up to give her a hug.  
  
“Hi Tess.” Cara leaned down to give the little girl a hug. “Look who’s here!” Cara pointed to Franky who was seated on the couch nearby.  
“Hey, bub.” Franky smiled to her sister. Tess waved softly as her eyes fell back on the ground. Bridget leaned in and gave Franky a swift kiss on the lips as a quick greeting.  
  
“Do you remember when we colored yesterday?” Cara held up Tess’ drawing. “Can you tell Franky who is who?” Tess nodded.  
  
“Me,” Tess said and pointed to herself on the page. “Gidget.” She pointed to the blonde. “An’ Franks.”  
  
“What did you draw on Franky’s arms?” Cara pointed.  
  
“Tat dudes.” Tess said proudly as she ran her hand over her own arm to show where the tattoos went. “Lotta tat dudes!” Franky’s heart swelled in her chest and a smile overtook her face. Sometimes it was hard to remember how far Tess had come in such a short amount of time.  
  
“She does have a lot of tattoos, doesn’t she? Do you think she has room for some more anywhere?” Tess’ eyebrows creased in thought and she tentatively stepped closer towards Franky. Franky extended her arms out for Tess to look.  
  
“Here,” Tess pointed to an un-inked bit of her forearm. “An here,” she pointed to another spot.  
  
“You’re right. I do have some open spots. Maybe you can help me fill them in?” Tess pondered the idea for a moment before silently turning back to the markers. She touched her lips as she thought and then selected a blue marker. She turned back around and let the marker hover over Franky’s skin. Tess brought her eyes up to meet Franky’s in a silent ask.  
  
“Go ahead, bub. Whatever you think should go there.” Franky nodded her approval. Tess turned to Bridget just to be sure.  
  
“Go ahead,” Bridget smiled.  
  
“No peek,” Tess instructed all three of the women in the room. All of them listened and diverted their eyes. Silently Tess set to work carefully designing her artwork atop Franky’s skin. Occasionally she would bounce back to the table for another marker and return back to her living canvas. When she needed to, Tess would maneuver her arm to access more of her skin. Finally, when every piece of real estate had been filled, Tess capped her marker.  
  
“All done!” She announced proudly. Franky glanced down to see every free space of skin covered in an underwater paradise. Little fish, seaweed, starfish, and more importantly, sharks lined her arms from elbow to wrist. “Pretty tats?”  
  
“They’re beautiful, Tess. Thank you so much.” Tess bounced with a proud smile.  
  
“Tess, do you want a tattoo now?” Cara opened up a container filled with temporary tattoos. Franky swore she heard the girl gasp as she rushed to investigate the contents of the box. “Pick one so Franky can give one to you too.” Tess picked up several different sheets before returning them.  
  
“Two?” Tess held up her fingers signalling that she couldn’t pick just one design.  
  
“Ask Franky and Bridget,” Cara instructed.  
  
“Two tat dudes? Please?” Tess asked sweetly.  
  
“Sure, you can have two. But no more because the other kids will get jealous.” Franky teased. Tess selected two: a t-rex and a shark. Franky shook her head and laughed softly. “Where do you want them?” Tess thought briefly before lifting her sleeve and revealing her bicep. “Nice choice.” Franky set to work applying the two temporary tattoos to Tess’ arms as she waited patiently to see them. “Dang, Tess. You didn’t even flinch! You’re a tough kid!” Franky smiled as she watched Tess curl her arm and scowl. 

Franky drove back to work unable to wipe the smile off of her face. It remained for the rest of the workday, even with the fake tattoos peeking out from her blazer. At their end of the day meeting, Franky saw Imogen and Lucy eyeing her marker covered wrists.  
  
“What are you looking at?” She finally asked towards the end of her debriefing.  
  
“Nothing. Just didn’t know you’d been sneaking off to the tattoo shop on your lunch breaks,” Imogen’s laughter filled the room.  
  
“Piss off.” Franky blushed a heavy shade of red.  
  
“It’s cute, to see your softer side. I want one next time Tess is in the shop,” Lucy grinned.  
  
“You’ll have to schedule an appointment. She books up pretty far in advance. But I’ll throw in a good word for ya,” Franky teased with a wink. 

 

Sunday mornings were the only day that Bridget would rise out of bed before Franky. The daily routine of prison life made it nearly impossible for the ex con to sleep in, but the rough hours she’d been pulling made it easier and easier to sleep into double digits. Franky once made fun of lazy weekend mornings claiming it to be ‘a waste of a day’. Those days were long gone after staring at a computer screen for days straight. Her schedule was taking a toll on her definition of normal, but she would never admit it to Bridget. Watching her interact with her baby sister made the long days worth it.  
  
By the time she woke that morning, the alarm clock beside her read ten fifty and her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes before making her way down the hall to see life going on without her. Bridget and Tess were sat at the kitchen table crayons in hands with their breakfast dishes discarded in what was normally Franky’s seat. She paused briefly to admire the scene as a smile played at the corner of her lips.  
  
“Hey sleepy head,” Bridget greeted her brightly.  
  
“Morning ladies,” she rasped before turning towards the coffee maker.  
  
“It’s cold,” her wife warned. “Tess woke me up early. She was asking for ‘breakfast bickies’, but I told her she’d have to wait so I didn’t burn the house down. We had some fruit instead,” Bridget explained before giving Franky a kiss on the cheek.  
  
“Fair call. I’m assuming that breakfast bickies means pancakes?” Franky dumped the grounds into the pot and hit start. She posted up against the counter to wait for the delicious brew to finish. Caffeine was necessary.  
  
“Cakes!” Tess called at the mere mention of the dish. “An bacon!” she added quickly without lifting her head from her intense scribbling. Franky laughed softly.  
  
“Not even ten minutes out of bed and the orders are flying in,” Franky teased as she reached for her waiting apron.  
  
“You don’t have to make them, I think I’ve got some of those frozen waffles left,” Bridget moved to open the freezer.  
  
“No,” Franky’s long arm flew out to close the door before the blonde could open it fully. She then opened the fridge to gather the necessary materials for the breakfast bickies, as requested. As she was whisking, Bridget wrapped her arms around her from behind.  
  
“Thank you, Baby,” she cooed in her ear.  
  
“Someone has to keep you both fed. Otherwise it would be back to tv dinners and take out containers, wouldn’t it?”  
  
“I’m getting better.” Bridget knew that she was not, in fact, getting better. What she was getting better at was hiding the bags from the take out she’d been purchasing and playing off as her own meals.  
  
“You burned peas last week.”  
  
“Touche,” Bridget sighed and returned to her place at the table. Intrigued when she began to hear the rustling of kitchen utensils, Tess was standing beside her on her tiptoes to get a better view of what was happening on the countertop.  
  
“Do you want to help me cook?” Tess nodded enthusiastically.  
  
“What do you say, Tess?” Bridget prompted.  
  
“Yes, please. I cook too.” Tess pat her chest. Franky pulled over their newly acquired step stool, that Bridget had actually grown to love now that she could scan the top shelves with ease. Tess stepped up and held out her hands for whatever task Franky had for her that day.  
  
“I need you to crack some eggs for Gidge please,” Franky instructed and tried to place an egg in Tess’ hand.  
  
“No!” Tess shook her head in disgust when Franky cracked one of the eggs to demonstrate. Tess was halfway off her stool and back to her crayons. “I want cakes,” She corrected Franky and pointed to the batter.  
  
“Yes, you and I are having pancakes. But Gidget likes eggs, remember?”  
  
“I don’t eat?” Tess pointed to the bowl with egg yolk floating in it. Tess wrinkled her nose in the most adorable fashion that Franky had ever seen.  
  
“Not if you don’t wait to,” she smiled.  
  
“Eggs for Gidge?” Tess pointed to Bridget’s seated form at the table.  
  
“Just for Gidge.” Franky could see the cogs turning in Tess mine as she processed the information. Tess knew she and Franky didn’t like eggs and yet here they were preparing them.  
  
“Why?” She shook her head confused. Franky smiled and gave her hair a ruffle.  
  
“We make them even though we hate them because we love Gidget.”  
  
“‘Cus love?” She repeated.  
  
“Yes, bub. ‘Cus love.” With another moment of contemplation, Tess picked up the egg and smacked it roughly against the side of the bowl sending egg yolk and shell to splatter across the counter.  
  
“Softer next time. Like this,” Franky demonstrated how to crack the egg just hard enough to break, but not send the insides soaring. Tess tried again and succeeded with a short punctuated laugh.  
  
Bridget sat back from a safe distance and watched as the siblings fell into a rhythm. Tess completing Franky’s tasks to perfection and waiting patiently for a new one once she’d finished the first. Since Cara had added in ‘Tattoo time’ to Tess’ therapy routine, she’d noticed how differently Tess reacted to Franky’s presence. The air in the house felt lighter. It was nowhere near perfect. Franky still lost her temper occasionally, but Tess was starting to understand that anger and frustration were not always her fault. So for now, they’d take the celebrations where they could. Tess had finally built Franky into her routine; cooking meals and tattoos.  
  
“Soon enough she’s going to be doing this by herself.” Bridget smiled softly from behind her coffee mug.  
  
“Good, someone’s got to feed you when I’m not here,” Franky playfully responded back without removing her eyes from the pan.  
  
“How did you learn to cook?” Bridget wondered aloud. Many details Franky’s past were left unanswered. Bridget didn’t press, and Franky enjoyed the quiet understanding. She knew that if she wanted to, the option to share without judgement was always there. But occasionally Bridget’s inquisitive mind would get the better of her.  
  
“First my dad taught me the basics. Mum was a shit cook, all she’d make were runny disgusting eggs with shells in them half the time. When dad left I’d started checking out different cookbooks from the library. I got better at using what we had. A neighbor had a garden and I would take stuff in the night. She caught me once, but didn’t she didn’t say anything. She gave me a sack and told me to take what I wanted. Then she started leaving me veggies in the mailbox.” Bridget could picture a younger Franky, stealthily navigating her way in the dark to retrieve the garden’s vegetables. It appeared that was an inherited trait. Franky and Tess were fighters and would do anything it took to survive.  
  
“She sounds lovely.” Bridget was touched that Franky shared such a positive memory. It gave her hope that maybe everything the brunette had endured wasn’t bad afterall. Maybe there were moments of good laced in.  
  
“She was,” Franky nodded as she continued to cook.  
  
“Maybe we should do a garden in the backyard. Give you both an excuse to dig around in the dirt,” the blonde mused. They’d had some extra space in the backyard and nothing to do with it.  
  
“You mean it?” Franky turned around to meet Bridget’s eyes to determine if she was being serious. She didn’t see the familiar twinge of mischief, just true blue crystal clear eyes.  
  
“Why not?” Bridget shrugged.  
  
“I’m going to ring dad. Maybe he can help me make some raised boxes,” Franky’s excitement bubbled from her stomach as she went in search of her mobile phone.  
  
“For now, why don’t we focus on the small child in front of the very hot burner?” The blonde reminded her of the proximity of small delicate child hands to the flame.  
  
“Right!” She quickly turned back to where Tess was placed on bubble patrol. Franky had instructed her to alert her immediately when the pancake had bubbled just enough to be flipped.  
  
“Flip!” Tess demanded hanging onto the spatula in her hand. “I flip?” She suddenly pondered.  
  
“You want to try? First put it just under the side and lift to see if it’s golden brown. Shakily Tess lifted the side of the pancake to check and then looked up at Franky to make sure. “Yep, it’s ready. Now we slide the turner all the way under.” The older of the pair helped Tess wiggle the utensil underneath. “And now we flip on three, ready? One, two-”  
  
“Three!” Tess lifted and tossed the pancake with wild abandon as it landed with a splat on the kitchen floor. Instantly the child was filled with panic and regret and she retreated underneath the table to wait out the impending anger that was no doubt awaiting her. But instead of hollering, Tess heard cackling laughter. What? She poked her head out from her hiding place to see Franky’s face painted with a smile.  
  
“Look tess, it’s a floor cake now!” Franky chuckled at the sad looking pancake mess. Tess’ laughter came out in a low belly laugh. She knew she had messed up, but Franky wasn’t made she was...happy? Slowly she came back out from underneath the table.  
  
“Try again?” The little girl asked tentatively.  
  
“Of course. We don’t stop until you’ve got it right. Get back up here,” Franky motioned for Tess to climb back on her stool to try again. 

Four attempts later, Tess had finally landed a nearly perfect flip to a standing ovation from her audience. When breakfast was finally completed, Franky loaded Tess’ plate and handed it off for her to eat in peace back in her place of safety. She set her and Bridget’s plate down at the table and began to tuck into their meal.  
  
A moment later, Franky and Bridget saw Tess’ chair pushed back out as she climbed up and set her plate on the waiting place mat. Silently she began to eat at the table like she’d been doing it her entire life. Bridget and Franky stared with open mouths at the switch.  
  
“What?” Tess finally asked with a piece of bacon in her mouth and a shrug of her shoulders. The couple glanced at each other briefly and then without another word went back to eating their breakfast together, as a family.

**Author's Note:**

> Your comments are always appreciated!


End file.
